Dance With The Devil
by angiembabe
Summary: Excited but nervous, Anzu travels to London to dance with The Royal Ballet. She meets a mysterious man who looks just like Yugi and tells her his name is Yami. When Yugi joins his wife in London and meets Yami, he discovers his real name is Atem. How could this be? His brother was also called Atem, but died when he was a baby! All is not as it seems. An evil threat looms.
1. Chapter 1

Yes, I am back with a new story. I have drafted out the whole thing, so apart from editing and possibly re-writing parts I am not happy with, I should post each chapter weekly. I am basing it in England - because I am English - and although it might seem post canon to begin with, it is alternative universe. You will see once we get into the plot, that some characters have very different roles than they did in canon.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

* * *

Dance With The Devil

Prologue.

It was a slightly bumpy ride as the Airbus A380 descended through the thick layer of cloud towards the runway of Heathrow Airport. However, it did not bother Anzu; she was far too excited to let the murky conditions dampen her spirits.

So this was England. She had been warned about the unpredictable weather! Although it was mid March, she had advised to prepare for wind, rain, sunshine and even snow. Apparently, she could be in shorts and tee-shirt one day and a thick jumper the next! It was nothing like spring in Domino, where the Sakura were already beginning to show the first signs of buds opening.

The Airbus landed without any problems and taxied away from the runway and onto a stand.

Clutching her passport and small holdall, Anzu exited the aircraft and headed into the main terminal.

Once through immigration, she proceeded to baggage re-claim to collect her large suitcase.

As she waited to find out which baggage carousel her case would be on, her nerves started to jangle. What if no one was there to greet her? She would be all alone in a strange country, with no idea of how to get to where she was going!

 _Pull yourself together Mrs!_ She never tired of reminding herself of her title.

Oh, how she needed to hear Yugi's comforting voice right now. It would be the middle of the night in Japan, but he had told her to call him, no matter what time it was.

Pulling out her phone, she hit dial.

He sounded sleepy when he answered, which made her feel a bit guilty.

"Sorry if I woke you Yugi! I've arrived."

"That's okay," he yawned. "Where are you?"

"Still at the airport. I'm waiting for my suitcase." As she spoke the screen signalled that she had to go to baggage carousel 5. "Ooh! I better go! The bags are starting to come through! Love you."

"I love you more," he chuckled.

Rather than hang up, they kept talking as she walked through to the baggage retrieval area. "I will ring you again later. What time is your meeting?"

"It's at nine fifteen."

"Good luck.. I just know they will love your new game."

"I hope so," he muttered. "And good luck with your first day in England. What's the weather like?"

"Wet and windy," she laughed.

"Good job you bought that new rain coat then!"

"Oops! I had better go, the cases are starting to come round and I think I can see mine!"

"Okay! Bye.. love you."

Anzu giggled and repeated his words from a moment ago. "I love you more."

There was a brief pause as neither wanted to be first to hang up. Anzu was the first to finally hit end call, simultaneously lunging for the carousel, to retrieve her suitcase before it went round a second time.

::::::::::::

Anzu had waited a long time for this opportunity. Her determination had got her here and she was not going to let anything stop her now.

She steeled herself and stepped into the arrivals hall.

A sea of people confronted her view. She hastily scanned the crowd for her friend's husband, who, she was told, would be waiting with her name written on a large card.

At last, she spotted a man in a black Helly Hansen jacket. He was holding an A4 sized card with Anzu Mutou written on it on bold letters.

Heaving a sigh of relief, she made her way over and bowed. "Hello! I am Anzu," she said, in her best English.

"Good afternoon Anzu. I'm Patrick Feltham, Chrstinas's husband." Having been told of Japanese customs, he bowed, albeit, a little awkwardly. "I trust you had a good journey?"

"Yes, thank you." Anzu nodded.

"Let me take your bag. Follow me? It's pretty crowded so Chrissie is waiting over there." He took Anzu to where a tall, slender, immaculately dressed woman in her early forties was sitting. She stood with the grace and poise of a professional dancer.

"Ahh.. Anzu my dear! I must say, you are looking wonderful!" She exclaimed, in her French accent. "How is married life treating you?!" She embraced Anzu, kissing each of her cheeks in turn.

"Great, thank you. I can't believe it's already been six months since Yugi and I tied the knot!"

"It is good that your husband is so supportive of your career. I am so happy that you will be dancing with the Royal Ballet!"

"I can't believe that I am actually here! To be invited to dance with the Royal Ballet Company just seven months after I graduated Juilliard! It's a dream come true! I'm so grateful to you for giving me such a good reference."

"You are one of the most talented of your generation, you deserve it my dear."

::::::::::::

The drive from Heathrow to Wimbledon Park should have taken around thirty five minutes, but as usual, the M25 motorway was a car park and it ended up taking over an hour.

Anzu was feeling rather weary by the time they arrived at the Feltham's spacious, mock Tudor style home. Patrick carried her luggage up to the guest room.

The room looked out onto the garden, and beyond it, a field containing some horses and some allotments. It was like a small oasis of sanctuary in the middle of suburbia.

Anzu glanced around the spacious room, painted in pale pastel yellow and blue, with floral blue curtains and dark blue carpet. There was a double bed and built in, mirrored wardrobes. There was even a television mounted on the wall. It was far better than Anzu expected.

"This is lovely! Thank you so much for letting me stay Christina," Anzu smiled gratefully.

"It will be a pleasure having you. The cost of renting is extortionate in London; it will save you a fortune. There is a small en-suite bathroom so that you may enjoy your privacy." She opened a door next to the wardrobe, to reveal a small bathroom containing a half size bath with an overhead shower, a sink and toilet.

"I don't know how to thank you enough! How can I repay you?!"

"Just knock em dead with your dancing! As your choreographer, that will be reward enough for me!"

"Please let me contribute to the bills though?!"

"We will discuss it later," Christina said dismissively. Anzu knew she would have trouble getting these kind people to accept any rent!

"I will put the kettle on," Patrick told them. "Do you like English style tea?"

"Yes, I had it when I was in New York. Not too much milk though and no sugar."

"Okay, we will let you sort yourself out and see you downstairs." They left Anzu on her own in the room.

As soon as they had gone, Anzu opened the wardrobe doors to peer inside. There was plenty of space. Smiling, she then flopped onto the bed to test it for comfort.

Happy with her new surroundings, Anzu hung her coat on the back of the door and went to the bathroom before trotting downstairs.

Following the sound of voices, she made her way into the open plan kitchen/dining area for tea and home made shortbread.

::::::::::::

Anzu spent the time between afternoon tea and the evening meal, unpacking. She then took a nice hot shower and pulled on her dressing gown, before laying down on the bed with her tablet to research travelling around London.

She soon grew tired of reading and found herself dozing off.

She was woken by the sound of knocking on the door. "Anzu?! Are you awake? Dinner is in ten minutes."

"Huh!" She felt a bit woozy and disorientated. It took her a second to remember that she was not at home in her own bed. "I must have dozed off! I will be down in a minute," she called out.

She scurried to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on her face in an attempt to wake herself up.

Hanging her dressing gown on the bathroom door, she pulled on some black leggings, a tee shirt and a soft, knitted sweater.

Checking herself in the mirror, she tried to brush her hair, but having fallen asleep with it damp, it would not sit right. She had no choice but to wet it and comb it out again. There was no time to dry it.

Once downstairs, she could hear the laughter of Christina's two children: Twelve year old Zoe and ten year old Nathan. Anzu smiled as she heard them squabbling over who was the better duelist.

She heard Patrick telling them to 'stop squabbling over a silly game'.

"But Dad!" Nathan whined. "She's married to the bestest ever player!"

"Do you even _know_ what that means?!" Zoe added, her voice irritated by her father's lack of interest in the latest game from Japan to become popular among school kids.

"Yes, it means you both behave yourselves, is that clear?"

Anzu heard both of the children groan, so she chose that moment to walk into the room.

The children immediately looked at her with awe and she could see that they were desperate to ask about Yugi. It made her heart tingle with pride for her husband.

She and Yugi had recently talked about having children of their own one day. Yugi had disliked being an only child; he had been lonely. He had told Anzu that he was keen to have more than one child and he wanted to have them as close together in age as possible. Seeing these two children – close in age, showed Anzu that it made sense.

But Anzu was not ready for pregnancy just yet. Maybe in a few years. But right now she was in her prime and feared a career break might end the dream.

However, even though she was career minded and liked to think of herself as independent, she was still torn between her traditional upbringing and wanted to fulfil her duty as a wife and mother. She loved Yugi and she did not wish to go against his wishes, but it was her womb, her body and her career that would be at risk.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she smiled at them. Remembering their names, she addressed each child in turn. "Hello Zoe, hello Nathan."

Curiosity soon got the better of Nathan. "Yugi Mutou is the King of Games!" He blurted, "Will he be coming to stay?"

"Nathan!" His father barked. "What did I tell you about harassing our guest the moment she walks in the room?"

"Sorry," he cowed and looked abashed.

"I don't mind at all!" Anzu spoke. "I love talking about Yugi. And in answer to your question: yes, he is planning to come in about three weeks. He wants to see me dance."

"Wow! Will I get to meet him?" Nathan asked, eyes wide with excitement.

"You most certainly will," Anzu laughed.

"Do you think he will duel me?! I cant wait to show him my cards!"

"Your deck's rubbish!" Zoe teased. "My deck's better. I always beat you."

"That's because you cheat!"

"I do not!"

"If you both promise not to argue," Anzu raised an amused eyebrow at them both, "Then I am sure Yugi will be happy to look at your cards and duel both of you. He loves giving advice and teaching children how to get the best out of their decks."

"Can you all sit up now, please?" Christina came into the dining room, carrying a large casserole dish. "Patrick! Can you and Zoe bring the vegetables in please?"

The pair hurried out to the kitchen and came back carrying a dish with new potatoes and another containing broccoli and carrots.

"I hope you like beef bourguignon, Anzu?"

"Yes! Thank you." Anzu had never heard of it but it sounded nice. And after clearing her plate, she decided it tasted lovely. It was just what she needed on a cold, wet day, and after hours of travelling.

::::::::::::

It was starting to rain again. Anzu snuggled down in bed and listened to the rain pattering against the window and the wind rustling in the trees outside. She thought it might lull her to sleep but she felt restless and was finding it difficult to relax in a strange bed without Yugi's warm body beside her. She was missing him already.

Anzu glanced at the clock; it would be ten past eight in the morning in Japan. Yugi would probably be finishing his breakfast about now. She hoped he was going to eat properly and would not be inviting Jonouchi over to play games every night, while consuming vast quantities of burgers, pastries and fizzy drinks and beer while she was away! She had left Yugi a list of instructions and healthy food ideas.

Would he remember her instructions on how to use the cooker and the washing machine?

The bins! It was Thursday morning in Japan. Did he remember to put the bins out last night?!

Her mind was working overtime now. Unless she spoke to him, she would not sleep.

She reached for her phone.

::::::::::::

Whilst he was happy that Anzu was pursuing her own successful career, a small part of Yugi still wished she was here with him. He had been brought up with traditional Japanese values, and had been taught that a woman should be at home looking after her family. But he would never dare voice that to Anzu! After all, she was a modern woman, who was of the opinion that men who expected their wives to stay at home and be subservient, were selfish chauvinists. Yugi did not wish to be considered a chauvinist and was happy to embrace their marriage as an equal partnership.

But he was already struggling. Firstly, he had overslept. He had set his alarm for seven but had dozed back off and woken again with a sudden start when he heard the bin lorry pull up outside, at ten to eight.

The bin! He had forgotten to put it out!

Leaping out of bed he ran outside, still in his pyjamas and yelled to the bin men not to forget their bin.

Out of breath, he staggered back indoors, feeling dizzy from leaping out of be too fast. He needed to get his skates on if he was to make the eight fifteen train to Tokyo, for his meeting with the game distributors.

He was brushing his teeth when the phone rang. "Kuso! Kuso!" At first, he was not going to answer it. But a sudden thought that it might be Anzu made him reach for the phone.

"Yugi! Is everything alright? You sound flustered. You didn't oversleep, did you?"

"No...! Of course I didn't," he laughed. "I'm just about to leave now." He knew he would not make the eight fifteen but the eight thirty was still possible.

"You are late," she smirked knowingly to herself. "I won't keep you talking then. I can tell you're in a hurry. Did you remember the bin?"

"Yes, of course I did! I'm not a complete idiot," he said, indignantly.

"I know you're not," she chuckled. "I'm missing you and feeling homesick already. I just wanted to hear your voice."

"I am missing you too, but you have to follow your dreams. You are amazing and you are going to be the most beautiful dancer ever. I'm really proud of what you are doing, so don't start doubting yourself now, promise me?!" He said with conviction and encouragement.

"Thanks Yugi. I love your pep talks when I feel nervous."

"That's what I'm here for!" He said, positively.

Anzu giggled. "I will let you go. You knock em dead with your new game at your meeting. I love you. Night..." she yawned, sleepily.

::::::::::::

Anzu hoped that now she had spoken to Yugi, she might be able to get to sleep. She had a busy day tomorrow and needed to be as fresh as possible.

Outside, the wind was still howling and the rain still lashing down. Did it rain all the time here? Shaking her head, she trotted to the bathroom.

Before getting back into bed, she wandered over to the window to peer outside.

Pulling the curtain aside, she startled for a moment when she thought she saw something, or someone.

She blinked and looked again. It must have just been the reflection from the street lamp in the lane that linked the main road to the allotment. With the rain falling in large droplets it cast a strange shadows on the trees and bushes that lined the lane! Bare branches, with buds still waiting to burst, mingled with evergreens, swaying in the wind. And for one ghastly moment, she thought she could see eyes, looking at her.

"Ugh! Quit with the over active mind!" She ordered herself to calm down, pulled the curtains shut and hopped back into bed.

::::::::::::

After a restless night, full of weird dreams about falling off the stage, ripping her costume and then forgetting how to dance, Anzu woke up.

She felt more than a little groggy. Her eyes were heavy and there was a dull thud in the back of her head, making her feel not quite with it. She figured it must be jet lag.

Thankfully, her hosts had left her to sleep in and she had not heard Patrick go out to work or the kids go to school.

A cool shower helped, but she still felt a bit strange and light-headed.

Thank goodness they did not have to be at the Royal Opera House until early afternoon – it would give her time to pull herself together.

She sighed when she saw that she had a missed call from Yugi. He had left a voice mail; telling her that the meeting had been a success and that he had signed a deal with a gaming manufacturer for his game to be distributed in Asia, America and Europe.

Looking at the time, it would be eleven at night in Japan. He would probably be asleep by now and she didn't wish to disturb him, so she went downstairs to get a late breakfast.

The house was calm and quiet, apart from the radio playing quietly in the kitchen.

She found Christina sitting at the table in front of her laptop, sipping a mug of coffee.

"Good morning Anzu. Would you like some tea or coffee? You look like you might need it!"

"Tea please..." Anzu yawned. "Sorry! I think I must be suffering with jet lag! I don't usually get it this bad!"

"We can delay showing you round until tomorrow if you would rather rest? I can call the director."

"No! I will be fine. I can't wait to see the Royal Opera House and get to work."

"Okay, we will leave whenever you are ready."

After a mug of tea and some toast, Anzu felt much better. They left just after eleven fifteen and made their way to the nearest underground station which was Southfields. Anzu purchased a visitors Oyster card so that she could travel about freely and cheaply in London. They then took the tube train to Earls Court, where they changed to the Piccadilly line and took another tube train to Covent Garden. It took just over forty minutes.

Anzu memorised the journey for when she had to do it on her own.

They exited the underground and Anzu found herself in the heart of London, surrounded by the noise and bustle of the city. She could not wait to explore, but her first priority was to get acquainted with where she would be working.

It was a short walk to the Royal Opera House. As they walked Christina told her about some of the attractions she should not miss.

"What is that building?" Anzu pointed to a tall, glass structure on the opposite side of the River Thames.

"That is the Shard. You can pay to go all the way to the top. You get a glass of champagne to drink while you look onto the city. I highly recommend it – although, I have not been myself," she chuckled.

"Maybe when Yugi comes, we can visit some of the attractions," Anzu decided.

::::::::::::

After being introduced to some of the other dancers, Anzu got changed into a leotard and ballet slippers.

Christina told her to warm up and said she would be back to start work on the dancing as soon as she located the male lead, who Anzu would be dancing with.

As Prima Ballerina, Anzu had a lot to master before the opening show in three and a half weeks time.

Plugging her phone into the sound system, Anzu set her favourite warm up music playing.

Standing at the bar, Anzu started with some gentle bends and stretches to loosen up her muscles. She ran through some basic positions and then ran round the room, gradually bringing in some jumps and twirls.

All of her earlier tiredness was fading away as she lost herself in her dancing.

She slowed and came to an abrupt halt when she suddenly heard a voice and hand clapping.

"Bravo! Bravo! My angel..."

She looked over to where a tall, strong looking man, with fair hair and blue eyes was leaning on the door frame looking at her. He was wearing black leggings, black ballet shoes and a white vest. She noted that he was very fair skinned.

"And you are?" She smirked, with a raised eyebrow.

The man pushed himself off the door frame and walked with grace and poise, towards her. When he reached her, he stopped and bowed.

"Alexi Petchikov. We will be dancing together," he said, in his Russian accent. He took her hand and kissed it.

"I'm Anzu Mutou. It is nice to meet you Alexi. Miss Christina is looking for you."

"We practice pas de deux..."

"I guess." She giggled, a little nervously.

They started dancing. He was one of the best male dancers of their generation and Anzu was slightly awed by him.

There was a fair bit of aerial work and Anzu was putting her faith in a man she had never danced with before, to catch her.

"You trust me... It is good we build trust, no?" He said, in his Russian accent, executing a perfect catch as she spun in the air.

They came to a rest, with Anzu laying in his arms.

"You are beautiful dancer," he praised her, flirtatiously.

Anzu stood up and tapped her fingers lightly on his chest. "I'm a married dancer, so no flirting, okay?" She winked.

"Shame..." he pouted. "I like flirt with everyone, even your husband," he winked at her.

It was at that moment that Anzu realised he was gay and started laughing. He started laughing as well.

"I think we are going to get on well," he grinned.

"Yup! I think we are."

At that moment, they both noticed that Christina was watching them from the doorway. "Ah.. I see you two have found each other! From what I see so far, my work will be easy," she smiled.

The rest of the afternoon went really well.

Feeling elated and full of positivity, they went to the cafe for light refreshments before taking the tube train home.

Anzu couldn't wait to call Yugi and tell him all about her day.

* * *

 **Okay, so that is the first chapter. What do you think? Please let me know by reviewing.**

 **Next chapter - things will start to take some unexpected turns.**

 **For some reason, when I introduced Alexi, I found myself picturing Victor from Yuri on Ice!**


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. The first hints of what the plot might be about will start to become apparent in this chapter -hopefully.

The usual disclaimer applies: I do not own Yugioh.

* * *

Dance with the Devil.

Chapter One.

Atem Sennen had a privileged upbringing. His parents were wealthy beyond belief. His father, was an Egyptian born businessman and his mother had been born in Algeria, but had grown up in Dubai, after her parents fled the country as student activists.

The family lived in a large ranch style house in Saudi Arabia, surrounded by high walls, topped with electrified barbed wire. Armed employees guarded the entrance to the property.

When they were young, Atem and his siblings never thought to openly question the need for such security.

When he reached his teenage years, Atem started to feel as though he was somehow out of place.

His father was tall and muscular with curly black hair, tanned skin and a thick, wiry beard. His mother was slightly fairer skinned, quiet and obedient. Atem looked nothing like either of them. For a start, his wild, tri-coloured hair stood him apart; no one in his family had hair like his! There was also a question of his ethnicity; his appearance was more Asian, but there was nothing Asian about any of them!

At first, his mother told him he was a gift from God! Atem doubted that.

It was only after he turned sixteen that she admitted to him that he was adopted.

"I knew it!" Atem seethed. He needed to know who his biological parents were.

"Please Atem, just forget it," his mother pleaded. "Do not mention this in front of your father."

"Forget it! How can I?! He's not my father and you're not my mother!" Atem stormed out of the kitchen and ran to his room. He had no idea where to begin searching for his birth parents!

He threw himself onto the bed and started sobbing. His whole life was a lie.

"Atem?!" His father's commanding figure appeared in the doorway. "Pull yourself together boy!"

Atem sat up and glared. "That's easy for you to say! You're not the one who has been lied to all his life. I don't belong here!"

His father's expression softened and he sat down on the end of the bed. "Don't ever say you do not belong. To me, you are my son. God brought you to my wife as a gift and you break her heart by behaving like this."

Atem pouted, sulkily. "I have to know..." he muttered, full of angst "-who my real parents are."

His father cleared his throat. "Your mother was a poor, pitiful woman, who died when you were just a few weeks old. We have no idea who your father was. My wife miscarried late in pregnancy and was told she would not conceive again. She was desperate for a child so I approached an adoption agency. You were perfect, so we gave you a home."

Atem swallowed the lump in his throat. He did not know how he was supposed to feel about the people who had brought him into this world and then left him. His father had probably been a tourist enjoying a night of fun, abandoning his mother before she even knew she was pregnant. Would he have stayed and looked after her if he knew about the baby? If he had, she might have received the medical care she needed and might still be alive.

Atem felt like he should be filled with grief, but he was not. All he felt, was a strange emptiness. "I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

"It is okay. I would not expect you to understand – my son." He patted Atem's shoulder. "You are a bright boy. You will continue your education and obtain the grades required to attend university. You will follow in my footsteps and move to London to attend university and gain your degree."

"Do I have a choice?"

"No, you do not! You will make myself and your mother proud."

Two years later, Atem was on his way to London to study at the London School of Economics and Politics.

::::::::::::

Life away from the confines of Saudi Arabia was good. Atem felt more relaxed. He threw himself into his studies and made new friends. For a while, he was happy.

However, after he gained his degree, he discovered the real reason why his adoptive father had sent him to London to study: It had never occurred to him that his adoptive father was a criminal. But he now saw him for what he really was; a crime lord, who financed and arranged weapons deals for governments who did not wish to get their hands dirty. The family was also involved in money laundering; which from his base in London, was to be Atem's role in the business.

To the outside world, his father was seen as a well respected, successful businessman. And his willingness to do business with governments and corrupt officials, while and also supporting charities that helped children orphaned by war, gave him a certain amount of immunity from being investigated!

Atem was not comfortable with helping criminals and corrupt officials hide their illegally acquired wealth from the tax man. And after drinking too much one night, he confessed his thoughts to his good friend, and casual lover, Mai.

A few days later, he was approached by Pegasus J Crawford and recruited to work for British Intelligence in the battle against terrorism.

::::::::::::

Atem had been instructed to set up a deal to supply weapons to a group calling themselves The Ghouls. The Ghouls seemed to bear no allegiance to any known terrorist organisation, but would freelance to whoever they felt needed their expertise.

Their tactics were unpredictable and they had been causing trouble all over the Middle East but were now starting to move further afield. The American and British Governments were growing tired of their antics and wanted them taken out of the picture.

There was only one problem; no one knew who their leaders were or even where they were hiding. It appeared they had gone to ground- quite literally.

After several months, working under the code name Pharaoh, Atem had finally made the right connections and had set up the deal. He now had the names of two of the worlds most wanted men: Marik Ishtar and Akefia Bakura.

His contact within The Ghouls, was a man named Abdul. The man was not overly bright and it had been quite easy to gain the names of his bosses.

It had been arranged that in order to finance the deal, the leaders of the Ghouls would transfer 200,000.00 Euros into a bank account held in Dublin -which they had done. The final cost of the deal had exceed the amount paid in and Atem had been forced to use some of his own money. It was agreed that Abdul would pay the remaining amount of £50,000 in used bank notes, directly to Atem.

He was supposed to meet Atem inside Covent Garden Station, where he would give Atem, the key to a safety deposit box, held in a Knightsbridge bank.

Arriving early, Atem went into a nearby Costa and ordered himself a Cinnamon Latte in a takeaway cup.

As the time neared for the exchange, Atem strolled outside and headed towards the entrance to the station, where he stood and finished his coffee. He was about to dump the empty cup into a bin and go into the station when a young woman approached him from behind and threw her arms around him. _Shit!_ He nearly leaped out of his skin.

:::::::::::

Feeling happy with how well rehearsals were going, Anzu left the Royal Opera House and headed for the station.

She paused to do a double take when she spotted a familiar spiky head. What was Yugi doing here?! He was not due for another week! Had he decided to surprise her by coming early?

It was just like Yugi to want to surprise her. She smiled and her heart did a little flutter at the thought that he had flown in from Japan and made his way here all on his own, just to meet her from work.

He had his back to her at the moment and was throwing a coffee cup into the bin. She decided to run up behind him and turn the tables on him, by surprising him.

"Yugi!" She threw her arms around his waist.

The man spun on her and threw his arms up "What the f...?! Who the hell are you?!" He was jumpy and had almost punched her.

"Arghhh!" Anzu squealed and let him go. "I'm sorry!" She gasped and put her hand over her mouth. "I thought you were Yugi! You look just like him!"

"Who's Yugi?" He frowned.

"My husband. You could pass for twins. Oh my god! I'm so embarrassed. Wait until I tell Yugi he has an identical twin!"

"Look! I'm sorry miss, but I don't have time, I'm late as it is!" He gulped and hurried away.

"Well it was nice meeting you..." Thinking him slightly abrupt, she watched him go. It would have been nice to have found out a little bit more about him. The only people she had ever seen with hair like that was Yugi and his grandfather. She suspected that Yugi's father had similar hair too, but he kept his cut close to his head.

She was heading in the same direction the man had gone, so she shrugged and followed him into the station. Maybe she would see him again.

Spotting his spiky hair as he went through the ticket barriers, she hurriedly followed. In her haste, she put her Oyster card in the reader, upside down. The barrier would not let her through. Cursing, she put it through again, this time the barrier opened.

However, the short delay had cost her and she had lost sight of him. _Crap!._

With a sigh, she headed to the escalator leading down to the platform, so that she could catch her train.

Her heart skipped again when she saw him in the tunnel walkway. He had stopped walking and was looking at the information board. He then walked towards the same platform as Anzu and waited for the next train.

Since he had been a little abrupt with her, Anzu was unsure if she should approach him again so she held back a little.

::::::::::::

Luckily, he had managed to escape the annoying woman. Andul had been waiting by the information board and the exchange had gone smoothly.

After a few minutes a train pulled up and Atem checked that no one was following him as he boarded. Anzu got into the same carriage.

"Oh! Hello again!" She said cheerily.

He jumped slightly. Damn, it was that woman again! He threw her an uninterested smile. "Yeah," he muttered.

"Funny how we keep meeting, isn't it?"

"It is," he snorted. "Where are you going?" He asked politely, hoping that she was not getting off at the same stop he was. She seemed innocent enough, but in this business he could not afford to be sloppy.

"I'm going back to Wimbledon."

"Oh, right. I'm getting off in a couple of stops."

"Where are you going?"

"To a meeting," he stated briskly. Anzu looked a little hurt and he felt a bit guilty. "I'm going to Knightsbridge. I have busness at the bank," he said a little more softly.

"Sorry if I'm annoying you, but I find it really interesting that you are so like Yugi. It took me by surprise when I saw you because Yugi is still supposed to be in Japan." She pulled out her phone and showed him a photograph of Yugi.

Upon seeing the photo and hearing her say that they were from Japan, his heart skipped. Was it possible he had family in Japan? All sorts of thoughts went through his mind. Could his father be from Japan and have a family there? He might have half brothers and sisters!

"Sorry if I seem offhand. I'm not good with strangers." He offered a handshake. She accepted.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Anzu, by the way."

The train was slowing as it approached the next station. "This is my stop," he said. "Why don't you get off here as well. I won't be very long in the bank and I would like to buy you a drink – to apologise for being rude." When Anzu looked a bit nervous and doubtful, he added. "We will be in a public place and you can continue on your journey afterwards." He had to know more about Yugi.

"Well, okay!" She had to make the decision quickly, or miss the chance to find out if he was related to Yugi.

The train stopped and she got off with him. There were lots of people around and she felt safe with him. "What's your name? I kind of don't know what to call you and Yugi never mentioned that he might have relatives in London."

"Oh! Sorry, yes. My name is Yami," he lied, giving her the name of his pet cat!

"Yami?! That's an interesting name! It means _dark_ in Japanese."

"Yeah... but most people here have no idea and think it's a cool name."

"I guess. Yugi's name actually means _game –_ his family are obsessed with games. Japanese names usually have a meaning – my name means _peach._ "

"Pretty as a peach," he winked. Anzu spoke good English but did not really get what he meant and just giggled with embarrassment. He found that rather cute and it made him smile. "I shouldn't be too long. Harrods is across the road from the bank, if you want to take a look around there. I can meet you back here in... say, twenty minutes?"

"That sounds like a good plan," Anzu smiled. She had heard of Harrods and was keen to take a look around the famous store.

They parted and Atem went into the bank. He was ushered to where the safety deposit boxes were. He opened the box and took out the bag containing the money. When he went to count it, he found it was twenty thousand pounds short.

Atem was filled with rage. That snake Abdul! What the heck was he playing at by thinking he could get away with short-changing him?!

Thankfully, Atem had covered himself by making sure he knew everything about the man: His criminal record, social security number and crucially, where he lived.

Keen to resolve the issue, he locked the money back in the box and went outside to get a phone signal.

After making a quick phone call, he left. He felt guilty about leaving Anzu in the lurch like that but he needed to resolve this problem quickly. If he was lucky, he could sort it out without having to inform Pegasus.

Anzu had been standing there for ten minutes now and there was still no sign of him! Had his meeting taken longer than expected? She had seen him go into the bank across the road from Harrods, so hopefully, he would not be much longer. She waited another ten minutes and then went to the bank and asked a member of staff if they had seen him. The member of staff said that a man answering his description had left over half an hour ago.

Feeling a little angry, Anzu went back to the station. _What a creep!_. If she ever bumped into him again, she would give him a piece of her mind for pulling a mean stunt like that.

::::::::::::

Atem made his way to a lock up garage to meet up with a man known simply as Rafael.

Rafael was ex US Green Beret. He now ran a security company in London and worked as bodyguard to visiting diplomats and politicians. He was extremely reliable and very good at his job.

"What do they owe?"

"Twenty thousand pounds. I have an address in Hackney. He either pays up or I will have to inform Pegasus that I am going to threaten to cancel the deal."

"Okay," Rafael nodded. "You might need this." He handed Atem a Heckler pistol, fitted with a silencer. "Just in case things get ugly."

"I don't anticipate it." He took anyway.

The pair climbed into a black transit van and headed out to Hackney.

The address lead them to a grey, 1970's block of flats. The lift was broken so they headed up the stairs to the fourth floor. Atem wrinkled his nose at the smell of urine in the stairwell and at the obscene graffiti on the walls.

"Are they expecting us?" Mick asked.

"I doubt it. The rat probably thought he was pulling a smart trick in trying to keep some of the cash for himself. When we show up, he will probably piss himself." He hammered on the door.

A man of Arab appearance answered the door. The door had a security chain attached, only allowing it to open a few inches. Atem asked to see Abdul.

"He's not in!" The man's eyes nervously darted to the side, indicating that he was lying.

The man went to slam the door, but Rafael already had a foot in the way and shoved his huge, powerful shoulder against the door with so much force that the flimsy screws fastening the chain to the door frame broke away, allowing the door to burst open. The man grunted when the door slammed against his face and he staggered backwards.

"Did you think I was stupid?!" Atem stared at Abdul, who was shuffling backwards as if trying to make a dash for the kitchen so that he could hide.

Inside, the flat smelled of sweat, alcohol and weed. Atem noticed the ashtray was full of old roll ups.

The man who had refused to let them, backed away from them, holding his face where the door had split his forehead open.

Another, rather nervous looking man in black jeans and a grubby white vest sat on the sofa, smoking a cigarette. His fingers were twitching and Atem was wary of him. Rafael gave Atem a knowing look that confirmed he did not trust the guy either.

"If you pay the twenty thousand you owe, it will end well for you," Atem hissed.

"You got our money! You must have miscounted," Abdul spat.

"What do you take me for you moron?! Unlike you, I'm educated and know how to count," Atem growled.

"My boss won't be happy you ripped him off!"

"I am pretty sure your boss won't be happy that you stole twenty grand of his money. Hand it over now and I will release the shipment."

"I already got shipping documents." Abdul smirked triumphantly.

"Easily invalidated. I still have final say on whether or not the container can be shipped."

"What if we ain't got the money?"

"That's not my problem. Because I'm a decent man, I will give you an opportunity to rectify things. But if you don't cough up, I will cancel the shipment and I think you know what that means for the three of you!"

The nervous man snarled. "Fuck you!" He reached under the cushion to pull out a gun but Rafael was too quick and had a pistol aimed at his head within a second.

"I wouldn't if I were you."

Abdul put his hand out to the nervous man. "Steady Mohamed!" He turned to Atem. "How long have we got?"

"Cash, now!" Atem could see Abdul sweating. He obviously didn't have the money.

"Look, I borrowed the money to buy in on a drugs deal," he admitted. "When we sell the stuff, I will double it. I can pay you then."

"When?" Rafael snapped.

"Tomorrow! It should have been today, but the drug squad intercepted the other half of the shipment. If it had gone to plan, I would have replaced the money sooner and this would not be happening."

"You have until three tomorrow afternoon. I want the money paid. If I don't hear from you by three o'clock, the deal is off." Atem turned and walked out.

With the gun still trained on nervous man, Rafael followed.

"Shit!" Atem cursed, as they got back into the van. "What idiots! Did they really think they would get away with it?!" He snorted. "Whatever happens, those morons are probably dead anyway."

"The drug squad are looking for the rest of a consignment of Heroin. My guess is that is what he's in on. What will you do?"

Atem rubbed the heels of his palms over his face. "I was meeting up with a hot little dancer and thanks to those morons I walked off and left her standing on a street corner!"

"Man, that sucks, ditching a broad like that!" Rafael raised an eyebrow at his friend. "What do you want to do about the drugs lead? Do we call it in?"

"No, not yet. We don't know where the stuff is. I am hoping that Abdul will lead us right to it."

::::::::::::

To say Anzu was fuming was an understatement. And to think she had almost fallen for his charm.

Although, what charm, she was unsure. He had been rude, arrogant and had more or less ignored her. And then for some reason, he had changed his mind and chatted her up - luring her in with the offer of a drink, only to leave her waiting on a street corner, like she was some desperate call girl!

Yami! She sat on the train back to Wimbledon and huffed in annoyance. He may look like Yugi, but he certainly did not have Yugi's nice personality and good manners!

She wondered if she should tell Yugi about the creep who looked like him!

* * *

 **There, we have a little bit of background on Atem and the line of work he is involved in. We also have a hints as to who the bad guys in this story might be. Yup! Bakura will play quite a big role in the plot.**

 **Please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

I am issuing a warning for this chapter. There are gruesome mentions of murder and infant death that people of a sensitive nature might find disturbing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

* * *

Dance With the Devil

Chapter 2.

Waking up on his own in an empty apartment, was making Yugi feel lonely. They may be a couple, but it seemed as though he and Anzu had spent the best part of five years, apart! There had been the four years she was studying dance in New York – okay, so they were not technically a couple during most of that time, but they had got married in the September after she graduated and Yugi had been proud to be earning enough to afford the deposit on an apartment in a nice area of Domino, fairly close to both Anzu's parents and the game shop.

In the seven months since they got married, Yugi been away to a gaming convention in Los Angeles for a week and Anzu had toured Japan for a month; with a small Tokyo dance company. But she had come home for many of those nights and Yugi had travelled to Okinawa to spend a few days with her. This trip to England was the longest they had been apart. He guessed he should probably get used to it, because if she was successful – and he hoped she was – it would lead to an extended contract and possibly a world tour!

As he lay in bed, staring at the empty space next to him, he worried that too many periods of extended time apart, might lead to the breakdown of their marriage; he hoped not. He wanted Anzu's career to be successful, but he also wished that she would remain here, beside him.

Grabbing her pillow, he hugged it. Burying his face in the soft pillow, he closed his eyes and tried to inhale her scent. But after several nights of hugging her pillow, her scent was starting to fade and was being replaced by his own.

Putting her pillow back down, he groaned. It was nearing eight o'clock and he really should get up. Grandpa was going out for the day and was relying on Yugi to run the shop for him.

::::::::::::

Yugi was sitting at the kitchen table, shovelling down a bowl of cereal when Anzu rang. What she told him came as quite a surprise and he nearly spat his mouthful of semi chewed cornflakes across the room!

A man who looked just like him! He did not know why, but it sent shivers through his spine.

"That's weird, are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure Yugi. He was about the same height as you, similar build, same eye colour, almost the same hair! The only slight difference was that he had blond streaks in his hair and his eyes were a bit more intense than yours. I actually mistook him for you! It was a bit embarrassing."

"Did you find out where he lives? It would be cool to meet him, it's not every day you find out you have a double!"

"No. I was going for a drink with him but he bailed on me! I was a bit angry – still am. Do you have family in London? You never mentioned it if you did!"

"As far as I know, I don't have any other family... Unless Grandpa has offspring he hasn't told us about! Apparently, he was quite a playboy in his time!"

"Euw... TMI!" Anzu made a gagging sound. Yugi laughed.

"I have several cousins but none of them look anything like me! Maybe I will ask Grandpa. I don't like talking to Mum about family because she gets a bit weird. I onces told her I wished I had a brother to play games with, she got tearful and my dad told me off. Grandpa said it was because they lost a baby a year or two before I was born. I didn't dare ask again."

"Oh! Yugi, I'm sorry. I remember you telling me once. To think, it's still so painful for your family, after all these years."

"Don't be, it's not your fault. It used to upset me when I was little – mainly because I wanted someone to play with. It doesn't bother me anymore, but Mum still keeps a photo of him next to her bed."

It made Anzu feel sad for his mother. One day, she hoped to be a mother herself and could not begin to imagine how it would feel to lose a baby so soon after birth. "Do you want me to see if I can find this Yami guy again? I can see what I can find on the internet."

"No, it's okay. You concentrate on your rehearsals. I will see if Grandpa knows of any family members with that name. It would be cool to find I have another cousin or something... Is he older or younger than me?" Yugi was processing the possibilities. After Yugi was born, his father got a new job that involved a fair amount of travelling. Maybe he had an affair. If so, then Yugi might have a younger, half brother.

"I didn't have chance. But older, I think."

"Oh, okay!" That ruled out a younger brother then. Yugi was even more intrigued. The Mutou hair was unique! They _had_ to be related somehow.

When he arrived at the game shop, Grandpa was ready to leave, so Yugi was unable to talk him about it. He even contemplated ringing his dad! But what could he say? He could not just ring and say '-hi Dad, did you have an affair which resulted in me having a brother I don't know about?'

The shop was quiet so Yugi decided to do some internet research, but his search revealed nothing. If only he had Yami's family name.

::::::::::::

For the time being, Anzu had decided to forget about Yami. If she bumped into him again, she would give him a piece of her mind for the little stunt he had pulled on her the other day.

After a good morning of rehearsals, Christina decided that they should take a break for an hour or so. Alexi suggested to Anzu that they went out the nearby Costa for coffee and a bite to eat.

As they stepped outside, Anzu spotted Yami, leaning casually against a lamp post, hands in pockets.

"What's he doing here?!" Anzu said, rather sharply.

"Who do you mean?!" Alexi was shocked by her abrupt tone.

"That man over there, with the gravity defying hair. The one I told you about."

"Ooh! He is cute!"

"You're welcome to him! If you don't mind being left standing on a street corner like some... some.. cheap hooker!" She huffed, grabbing Alexi's hand and pulling him along. "Quick! I'm still angry with him. Pretend we haven't seen him!"

Atem suddenly looked up and spotted them. Pushing off the lamp post he was leaning on, he straightened his posture and strolled over towards her. When Anzu ignored him and quickened her pace, he called out her name.

Sighing, she stopped and turned round. "What?! Are you my stalker now?! That was a mean stunt you pulled the other day."

"I'm sorry! If you would let me buy you a drink?" He pleaded. "I can explain."

"I already have a lunch date!"

"It's okay dear. You go make up! I get coffee on my own..." Alexi told her.

"Are you sure?! I'm..."

"Go!" Alexi interrupted.

"O... kay," Anzu sighed hesitantly. She glared at Atem. "You have fifty five minutes to come up with a good excuse!" In response, Atem shot her a sheepish smile.

"I'm sorry I left you like that, but I ran into unexpected problems and had to leave in a hurry."

"Well, you could have let me know you were leaving and then gone to sort out your problems."

"There wasn't time. A huge investment was in danger of collapsing and I had to act quickly."

"And did you sort it out?" Anzu enquired tersely, as they made their way to a nearby bar.

"I still don't know.. It's not looking good," he frowned slightly and Anzu picked up on the tension and worry in him. She felt a bit guilty for giving him such a hard time.

"Well, I suppose you are forgiven. I just felt like I had been picked up and then dumped."

"I'm sorry. I would never stand someone up without a good reason, but I have a lot on my mind at the moment and it was an emergency. It won't happen again." Keen to show he _did_ have good manners, he held the door open for her and gestured for her to enter the bar ahead of him. "What would you like to drink?" He asked, once they were inside.

"I will have a half pint of orange juice and lemonade please? Would it be okay if I ordered food? Only, I'm starving."

"Of course. I will see if they have a seat in the dining area."

They were shown to a table in. The waiter took their order for drinks and left them to peruse the menu.

The waiter returned with Anzu's orange juice and lemonade and a pint of beer for Atem and took their orders.

Anzu ordered the seafood risotto, while Atem chose the burger and chips.

Anzu was amused by his choice and let out a little chuckle. He looked at her strangely.

"What's funny?!"

"You ordered a burger. Yugi would have chosen the burger too."

"He has good taste." He winked at her, making her blush. "How long have the two of you been married?"

"Nearly seven months. I spent four years studying dance in New York. We had a few relationship issues when I went away to study and kind of split up for a while. But we eventually got back together and married after I graduated."

"Tell me a bit about Yugi?"

"He's twenty three – twenty four in June. His family owns a game shop in Domino City, called Kame Game. He helps out sometimes and also works as a game designer."

"Does he like playing games?" Atem raised an interested eyebrow.

"He loves all sorts of games!" Anzu enthused, "I don't know if you've heard of a game called Duel Monsters?"

He looked thoughtful. "Is it one of those trading card games?"

"Yes, it is. It has been very popular in Asia for some years but only just seems to be catching on here. At home, we have tournaments and Yugi always wins. People call him Game King because whatever game he plays, he hardly ever loses," she proudly stated.

"Hardly ever loses!" He smirked. "That sounds like a challenge! What other games does he play?"

"All sorts: Card games, computer games, arcade games... He's really fast at solving riddles so he always levels up quickly. Do you play games?"

"I do," he stated confidently. "But more sporting type games, such as football or tennis. I am very competitive. Back home in Saudi, I used to race horses. Now and again I play chess, snooker or poker. Like Yugi, I seldom lose. I have a bit of a rivalry going with a colleague." His face lit up when he talked of his talents and Anzu found him handsome.

"Maybe you and Yugi should get together when he comes over from Japan. I have already told him about you."

"Yes, I would like to meet him..."

Their food arrived and the conversation about Yugi stalled a little as they thanked the waitress and started to eat.

"Is your risotto good?" He asked.

"Mmmm..." Anzu nodded, mouth full of food. "Is your burger okay?"

"Not bad." He took a bite. They continued to eat in silence, until Anzu spoke.

"So,,," she took a sip of her drink, "what do you do for a living Yami?"

He could not tell her the truth. "I am in international finance. Government bonds, investments, brokering financial deals... that sort of thing."

"Sounds interesting! Big money then?"

"Yeah, you could say that." He quickly changed the subject. "What ballet are you performing?"

"I will be performing Swan Lake. Do you enjoy ballet?"

"I have to confess that I know very little about it, but I would love to see you dance. Where are you staying while you're here?"

"I'm staying at my choreographer's house in Wimbledon. Where do you live?"

"I have an apartment on Canary Wharf."

Anzu raised an impressed eyebrow. "Sounds very nice! Is that where they had the Olympics?"

"It's not too far away. The Olympic park is actually a few miles north of where I live."

"Oh, okay.. It still sounds very nice though..."

"It is. You should come and visit..." Realising that he might sound like he was flirting, he added "-with Yugi, of course."

"Yes, that would be nice," she sensed his awkwardness and felt a bit embarrassed. "So..." _Change the subject._ "How old are you Atem?" She had assumed he was a little older than Yugi and her.

"I'm twenty five. My birthday's on 26th July. My real name is Atem Sennen. Yami is just a nickname," he admitted.

"Atem... that's a nice name. I think I have heard it before somewhere," she said, thoughtfully. _Wasn't that Yugi's deceased brother's name?_ She suppressed a shiver at the coincidence. Atem did not appear to notice.

"If you are interested in Ancient Egypt, then you might have heard it. I was named after a Pharaoh, who's tomb was discovered around the time I was born."

"Oh! So you're Egyptian?! I was confused when you said you grew up in Saudi. I kind of thought you looked Japanese." This time, she was unable to suppress the shudder. _Yugi had once told her that his brother had been named after a Pharaoh, who's tomb his grandfather had helped excavate._ She had only been about eight or so when Yugi had told her but she had never forgotten about it.

"I'm part Japanese.. I think," he continued. "No one knows who my father was. My mother died when I was a baby. I was brought up in Saudi Arabia by my adoptive parents..." He faltered. "Are you okay? You suddenly look a bit pale – like you've seen a ghost or something."

"Oh!" She coughed. "I just swallowed my food down the wrong way. I'm okay now though. I'm sorry...about your real parents."

He shrugged. "Don't be, I never knew them."

She looked at the time and groaned. "I would love to talk longer but I really should finish my food and be getting back to work. We have tons more stuff to run through."

"I will make sure I get tickets to see you dance."

"I would like that." She smiled and took out her purse. "How much do I owe?"

He shook his head. "It's on me. I have enjoyed your company this lunchtime, and I look forward to meeting again when Yugi arrives."

"He is due to arrive a week Wednesday."

He handed her a business card with his phone number on. "Perhaps you could ask him to contact me on this number when he gets here."

"Thank you," she took the card. "I will give you our contact details as well." She pulled a note pad from her bag and wrote down the address where she was staying, her own phone number and also Yugi's number. Tearing out the page, she handed it to Atem.

Thanking her, Atem tucked the slip of paper into his wallet and walked back to the Royal Opera House with her before saying he would see her and Yugi again soon.

After he had gone, Anzu grabbed her phone and sent Yugi a message.

::::::::::::

The following morning, Yugi woke to find that he had two messages from Anzu. He smiled as he opened them. The first one was just little note to say she was missing him, with love hearts and kisses. The second one was sent later in the day and said: _**Got some important info for you. Met Yami again. Turns out that Yami is not his real name. His real name is Atem Sennen! He's 25. Birthday 26**_ _ **th**_ _ **July. Hope this isn't too much of a shock! Seems he is named after the same Pharaoh as your brother. x**_

Yugi gasped and felt himself shudder. This had to be more than just a coincidence. He didn't think he had ever told Anzu his brothers birth date – he hardly remembered it himself! But seeing the date brought it back – that was his brother's date of birth.

He leaped out of bed and fired up his lap top to see what he could find.

There were two possibilities: Either this man was an impostor who was using his dead brother's identity, or... -and the second possibility brought a lump to his throat – his brother was alive! But how?!

::::::::::::

Yugi could not stop thinking about this mysterious man who shared his deceased brother's identity.

He sat at his computer trying to work on writing software for the new game they were designing but found that he could not concentrate.

As soon as the working day was over, he jumped into his car and drove over to Kame Game, as quickly as the traffic would allow.

He found his grandfather in the shop, cleaning the shelves. "Ah.. Yugi! Lend me a hand please? I have trouble reaching the higher shelves these days! I'm afraid you shrink as you get older, and when you are not exactly tall to begin with it can be annoying."

"Don't say that Grandpa! I have only just finished growing! I would like to stay this height!"

"Believe it or not, I used to be as tall as you when I was younger! Now what troubles you? I can see by your face that you are worried about something."

"Hmm, I'm not so much worried as intrigued. You see, Anzu met a guy in London who told her his name was Yami."

His grandfather chuckled. "Yami?! That's a strange name."

"No more strange than mine...! The thing is, he looks just like me. The other thing... Maybe you should get off the step ladder and sit down."

Worried by the anxious look on Yugi's face, Sugoroku got off the step ladder and gripped his grandson's shoulder. "What is wrong Yugi?"

"It turned out Yami was only a nickname. He said his name is Atem Sennen. And he has the same birth date as..." Silence.

His grandfather suddenly looked very shaken so Yugi guided him to a seat at the table.

"Grandpa?! Say something.. please?"

"Is your mother about?"

"She's upstairs, in the kitchen."

"Shut the door, I don't want her hearing our conversation. I don't want to give her false hope."

Yugi felt the anxiety building as he closed the door to the store room. "Grandpa?!" He shakily enquired. "Do you know something?"

"I am not sure..." Sugoroku chewed on his thumb nail. "The name Sennen, I think I might have heard that name before, somewhere. It was while I was in Egypt. That's right! Aknam Sennen was an influential member of the Egyptian government but resigned over his links to organised crime! They might be related."

"Can you tell me what happened to my brother, Grandpa? He did _not_ die of cot death, did he...?" Yugi's voice was low and he was trying to keep his tone calm.

"No, he didn't, I'm sorry if we lied to you all these years, but it was less painful than the truth." Sugoroku cleared his throat. "But I guess it's time I told you what really happened. As you know, I lived and worked in Egypt for many years. I met and married your grandmother there. We owned a property in a wealthy suburb of Cairo and lived there during the excavation season. Your father grew up speaking fluent Arabic, as well as Japanese and English. Your father met your mother at Tokyo university. She was studying history and wanted to travel to Egypt with your father."

Yugi already knew that, but he nodded, trying not to seem impatient as Sugoroku continued.

"I was very keen to discover the identity of the unknown Pharaoh. In the early twentieth century, a team working in the far end of The Valley of The Kings discovered a previously unknown tomb. However, although they found the antechamber, they were never able to locate his sarcophagus. His name had been removed from all inscriptions and he remained a mystery. Many years later, I was involved in carrying out restoration work. We discovered that one of the walls appeared different; as though it had been built after the tomb had been constructed.

Just as we hoped, we found a burial chamber. The chamber held a sarcophagus – we had at last found the missing King, Atem. His name had been lost over the millennia and erased from history, but it was beautifully preserved on his sarcophagus. Your mother was so excited by the young Pharaoh and his name, that she and your father decided to name their baby after him. Atem was born in Cairo hospital on 26th July. He was a beautiful, healthy boy with a little tuft of downy black hair on the top of his head and big, deep plumb eyes – much like yours." Yugi noticed that now his grandfather had finished recounting the tale of finding the Pharaoh's tomb, he had suddenly became melancholy.

"Are you okay to continue Grandpa?" He reached out and touched his grandfather's arm.

"Yes, I am fine Yugi." Sugoroku took a deep breath and clutched Yugi's hand as he continued to re-live the terrible moments that he always tried to avoid thinking about. "We stayed in Egypt while work continued. The Valley of The Kings is no place for an infant, especially at that time of year when daytime temperatures can soar. Your mother wanted to visit the tomb as she had not had chance to do so since giving birth. Your parents left two month old Atem in the safe care of our housekeeper, Zania. While we were out, something terrible happened..."

 _It was the first time Hana Mutou had left her baby son in the care of someone else. But it was only for the morning. They had left at six in the morning and would return by midday. Still, it was hard for the young mother to be parted from her precious infant._

 _Zaina went about her early morning chores, of sweeping the floors and cleaning the dishes, while Atem slept in his Moses basket, under the shade of the vines. A gentle breeze blew in from the River Nile._

 _Finishing up the last of the dishes, Zania made herself a cup of sweet tea and went to check on the baby. Just as she sat down with her beverage, he woke up and started crying – it must be time for his feed._

 _After giving him a bottle of the expressed milk his mother had left, Zania winded him and changed his nappy. She then placed him on his play mat so that he could wriggle around and play with the mobile toys, dangling above him._

 _She did not hear the intruder approach, until it was too late. She barely had time to scream as she was grabbed from behind. A gag was forced into her mouth. and her hands bound._

"When we returned to the house, there was no sign of Zania or Atem. We called out but there was no answer and we assumed they had gone for a walk to the nearby market. It was only when your father went out into the garden that we found Zania floating face down in the swimming pool. Atem was nowhere to be seen. The gate to the rear of the property had been forced open. We called the police immediately. It appeared that Atem had been kidnapped."

Yugi gasped. "He was kidnapped! But why?!"

"Yes, he was taken. They had also taken his birth papers. We came to the conclusion that Zania had been tied up and forced to tell them where his documents were kept, before being strangled and thrown into the pool." Tears started to well in Sugoroku's eyes. "We never saw your brother alive again."

"If it's too painful to discuss Grandpa, I understand." Yugi hung his head in sadness.

"No, it is okay. You deserve to know the truth. It was concluded that an organised gang of smugglers took him. Apparently, they had been active in the area. They would pay mothers who had given birth to babies they could not care for. They would then sell the babies to wealthy couples who were unable to have children of their own. It was thought that they had an order for a client, but there were no newborn infants available at that moment, so they decided to abduct a baby that fulfilled their customer's requirements."

"Why didn't police try to find him?"

"The Egyptian police are not the most well organised. They searched the houses of people they suspected, but found nothing. We mounted a campaign to find him and about a week later the remains of a young child was found. We never saw the body because.." He faltered and let out a small sob. "Because.. the body was too badly.. it had been scavenged by an animal."

Yugi retched on hearing his grandfather's words and had to gulp to stop himself from vomiting. The thought of his brother being eaten! He closed his eyes and clenched his fists. "How... how do you know it was Atem?"

"Because we were told the baby was a match for Atem's DNA. His little body was flown back to Japan in a sealed casket and buried. You have seen the plaque we had placed in the commemorative garden for children."

Yugi nodded. And then a thought occurred to him. "What if the body wasn't him? What if he was smuggled out of Egypt alive and well? If it was an organised gang, maybe they dug up a baby that had died and left it to be predated and then paid corrupt officials to say it was Atem. If his father is this corrupt official you mentioned, he might have been involved in a cover up!"

"Yugi! What are you saying?"

"That Atem is alive and living in London. It fits! He's the same age, the same name and looks like a Mutou!"

Sugoroku stroked his beard and thought. "That is a possibility. But until we know for sure, we must keep it secret. I do not wish to get your mother's hopes up only to find that it is a false lead and this man is not your brother."

Yugi agreed. He would meet Atem and find a way to prove one way or another if they were related.

* * *

 **Just in case anyone does not know what TMI means, it's too much information.**

 **I hope the baby being eaten was not to gruesome for you.**

 **Please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

Apart from the odd bit of swearing, there are no warnings for this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

* * *

Dance With the Devil

Chapter 3

The weapons deal was turning out to be a pain in Atem's arse. That idiot, Ahmed, had stolen the money to fund his own disastrous enterprise and had still not paid up. Putting Atem in a difficult situation.

If the deal did not go ahead, the whole operation to draw out the leaders of the Ghouls could be in jeopardy. If he did allow it to go ahead, he would never be able to get the money back and would be left out of pocket, personally.

However, Atem did have another card to play; with a possible lead on the missing drugs, that he might be able to use to his advantage.

He would have to play his card carefully, if he was to succeed in bringing both the Ghouls _and_ the drug smuggling ring to justice.

With a slightly nauseous feeling in the pit of his stomach, he made himself a coffee and sat down with his morning newspaper.

As he sipped his coffee, his mind turned to the young dancer he had met; Anzu... She had been really nice and shown him genuine friendship, even after he had treated her badly by leaving her waiting on a street corner. It was so refreshing to meet someone who was not involved in the seedy world of criminal activities and espionage. Lately, he had been starting to feel like he was in too deep, and was caught in a never ending, downward spiral. Once this was over, he intended to quit.

Anzu had told him that Yugi was arriving in England today and he could not wait to meet the young man who looked so much like him.

Was it just a coincidence? Or did he really have living relatives? It gave him a small spark of hope and light in his otherwise, dark and dangerous world.

His phone beeping interrupted his thoughts, bringing him back to the problem he was trying to fix.

It was Pegasus J Crawford, returning his call. Atem cringed at the way the flamboyant Head of MI5 –his boss– spoke.

"Atem boy! This had better be about something important!"

"It is." He got up and started pacing. "I am afraid our clients have short changed us. I hoped to recover the funds without involving you but have been unsuccessful. I'm afraid I need to delay sending the supplies."

"Oh dear! My dear Atem boy... I am afraid that is not possible!"

"What?! I hope you are joking?"

"I never joke..." Pegasus hissed, becoming deadly serious. In an instant, his demeanour reverted to being more flippant again. "Well, maybe I do, maybe I don't," he chirped, in his annoying, singsong voice.

Atem stifled a groan and scratched the back of his head. "Has it been dispatched or hasn't it?" He said, through gritted teeth.

"Yes, and no!"

"I thought I requested for it to only be shipped once I gave the instruction! Do you realise how that makes me look? I told the client that I am stopping the shipment until he paid up. Now I look like an idiot –the type of guy who is easily conned."

"You really are a worrier. Do you really expect me to leave a shipping container full of valuable cargo laying around at Southampton Docks?! I do not care about your financial faux pas and I want these criminals caught. We have been scratching at the scum on the surface for months, this is our one chance to expose the core and rip it out. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, perfectly clear." Pegasus could be irritating, but he was an astute political player and a ruthless commander. If Pegasus ordered it, Atem would be the one made scapegoat.

When Atem had agreed to work for British Intelligence, he had been instructed to use his own contacts and resources to purchase the military equipment. The ex-soldier who sold him the weapons, knew the Sennen family name and trusted him. They would never suspect that he was working for MI5. If word did ever get out, he would be lucky to make it to his next birthday.

"Anyway, stop worrying dear boy. Your part is done."

"But it's my neck on the block and I'm twenty grand short!"

"That is not my problem. And anyway, there is _no_ shipment."

"What do you mean?! _No shipment!_ "

"You didn't think we would actually send weapons to those terrorist scum, did you?"

Atem didn't answer, so Pegasus continued. "Of course we didn't. All we needed was for you to identify and draw out their leader. And I have to commend you for doing an excellent job. We now have both Bakura and Ishtar on our radar and it is only a matter of time before we get them. "

"So what happened to the merchandise?"

"That is being destroyed so it cannot fall into the wrong hands. Tootle pip!" He hung up. Atem scowled. As far as Pegasus was concerned, Atem had done what was asked of him. It was up to him to either extract the money from that moron, or accept the loss.

::::::::::::

When Yugi arrived at Heathrow Airport, Anzu was there to meet him.

After just over three weeks apart, they were desperate to hold one another, but in the bustle of the airport, they kept their greeting brief.

Anzu lead him towards the train station. "The rail link into London is really good. We change at Earls Court, and then its just a few stops to Wimbledon," she informed him.

Not having a clue where he was going, he grabbed his suitcase and followed. "Don't I need a ticket or something?"

"Oh! Yes, I forgot! You might want to purchase a visitors travel card." She took him to a ticket machine. The little bit of knowledge she had acquired since being here was useful.

Ticket in hand, they boarded the train to London.

They had so much to talk about and chatted away happily. Anzu told Yugi that she could not wait to show him around London.

With Atem in the forefront of their minds, the conversation soon turned to him.

Yugi had given quite a lot of thought about what he should tell Anzu. He wanted to confide in her about his conversation with his grandfather, but a crowded train did not really feel like the right place to do so. There were also certain details concerning his brother's death that were distressing and he did not wish to upset her.

::::::::::::

As the reigning champion of Duel Monsters, Yugi's face was known to people who took an interest in the game, and since it was the latest craze at school, the children were excited about meeting him.

However, Patrick had ordered them to behave themselves; warning them not pounce on Yugi, the moment he walked in the door!

Luckily, they were too shy and sat quietly, while the adults talked.

As a special treat, Christina had prepared an afternoon tea, of scones, home made strawberry jam and clotted cream.

"Thank you Mrs Feltham," Yugi grinned, tucking in. "These are very nice." He had never eaten scones, with jam and cream before and he quickly accepted a second helping when Christina offered it.

Anzu giggled. "Yugi! You have cream on your nose!" She reached over and dabbed it off. "I can't take you anywhere, can I?"

"It's the first time I've ever eaten these! They're delicious and I'm hungry."

"Yes, well be careful how much cream you eat! It's very fattening," Anzu scolded, teasingly.

"Spoilsport!" He grumbled.

"You could do with some meat on them bones, lad!" Patrick patted his own belly. "See what good cooking does?!"

"That is not my cooking, it's the beer that has made your belly like that," Christina informed him.

Patrick pouted at her. "How dare you insult my paunch."

Laughter and lighthearted conversation was helping the children to relax and they were now starting to come out of their shells. Nathan nudged his sister. "Tell him then..."

"No... you!" She nudged him back.

"Do you play Duel Monsters?" Yugi pretended to be amazed when Nathan slapped his duelling deck on the table and grinned sheepishly.

"Yup!" Nathan nodded enthusiastically. "I'm really good at it. I can beat Zoe."

Zoe shrieked. "What?! No way! I always win. He only wins when I let him!"

They quietened down when Patrick shot them a look and told them to behave.

"It doesn't matter who wins," Yugi told them. "Just as long as you respect your opponent and enjoy yourselves."

"See! Smarty pants!" Zoe stuck her tongue out at her brother.

Yugi smiled in amusement. "I need to unpack my suitcase first. But how about we play some games later?"

"Yes please!" The children both enthused.

After excusing themselves from the table, Anzu and Yugi went upstairs.

Anzu could not wait to show him their room.

Yugi could not wait to be alone with Anzu.

"When will you ring Atem?" Anzu asked, closing the door behind them.

Yugi shrugged. "I don't know." In truth, he was not sure what he was going to say to Atem.

"It's okay to be nervous." Anzu put her hand on his arm, reassuringly.

"I'm not nervous. It's just... there's something I need to tell you. I only just found out myself..." He took her hands in his and pulled her onto the bed to sit beside him. He proceeded to tell her everything that his grandfather had told him.

Anzu gasped in horror and covered her face with her hand. "Oh, Yugi! Your poor family! What will you do? He is so like you to look at! His name, date of birth... He _has_ to be your brother!" She said, emotionally. Yugi nodded.

"I really want to believe he's my brother, but I have never met him and have no idea what I should say to him. It might turn his whole world upside down! I don't know if I can do that to someone. Will he want to know the truth? It sounds like he has a good life and I might ruin it. Maybe it would be better if I don't say anything."

Anzu looked into his eyes and saw that they were full of uncertainty. He smiled back at her, hoping for some guidance.

"If he _is_ your brother, he deserves to know."

"Does he? We've never even met! We might not even like each other! I keep thinking about what we will say when we meet, and I have come up with so many different scenarios -half of them don't turn out well." Yugi was feeling tired and emotional. Anzu felt his stress, and was herself, becoming anxious. She wanted to do whatever she could to help him make the right decision. "I know you will do what is right, Yugi." She put her arms around him and hugged him. "I'm sure it will seem clearer once you have had chance to get over the jet lag."

In need of her comfort and warmth, he returned the hug, pressing his face against the side of her neck and relishing her soft, delicate skin against his cheek. After a few moments, he had made up his mind.

Pulling away, he straightened his posture. "I will see how we get on before I decide if I should say anything. But I won't ring him today. Right now, I want to spend some time with you. Three weeks is a long time and I have missed you." He noticed a small tear, trickle from the corner of her eye. He gently wiped it away with his thumb and kissed her cheek.

Anzu smiled at him and gently ran her fingers over his cheek and traced her fingers along his jaw line. "You need a shave."

"Yeah, I do." He ran his hand over his chin. "I might have a shower too." He got up and staarted rummaging in his case, for his wash kit and a clean pair of boxers."

"Would you like a hand shampooing your hair?" She offered, seductively.

He grinned, dropping the boxers and wash kit on the floor. "Now that's an offer I can't refuse." He took her in his arms, kissing her passionately.

The shower could wait a little longer.

::::::::::::

The sky was clear and the evening had turned chilly. Atem and Rafael sat in the van, wrapped up warm and sipping hot tea from their flasks.

"You know, you're walking a thin line pursuing this without back-up," Rafael warned him, dunking his digestive biscuit into his tea and then biting off the soggy chunk. He had worked on covert missions in Iraq and appeared to take it in his stride.

"I know that!" Atem snapped. "But if it goes to plan, I get my money and the police will get Bagdonas and the rest of the drugs."

"What will you do when this is over?"

"You mean if I don't wind up dead?" He paused and bit his lip. "I want to find my real family. Find out who I really am." There was a sadness in his voice and Rafael reached across and squeezed his shoulder.

"I know for certain that my family are all dead but I hope you find yours. No matter what shit happens this evening, I will cover your back, okay kid?!"

"Thanks Rafael." Atem let out a sigh and tensed up. "I'm getting bored. Surely they must come home sooner or later!" He hated the monotony of stakeouts.

"There.." Rafael gestured to where a figure had just stumbled around the corner. "I think that might be our target."

"Maybe... it's hard to tell with his hood up!"

As the man got closer, nearing the entrance of the block of flats, they decided to pounce.

They caught up with the man in the stairwell. There was no one else around.

Rafael grabbed him and shoved him against the wall, knocking the wind out of him. The man coughed and swore in Arabic.

Rafael punched him in the stomach and the man crumpled to his knees on the urine stained floor.

Atem stood in front of him, with his arms folded. "It's time to pay up Abdul," he growled.

"I don't have no money," the man looked and sounded frightened. "The guy who took my cash... He said I make long term investment. He screw me over."

"I know most of the scum in this city who deal drugs, Who did you make the deal with?" Rafael hissed menacingly.

"I don't know! He's from Eastern Europe." Abdul was still not being particularly forthcoming with information.

Both Atem and Rafael had a good idea who it might be: A Lithuanian who went by the name of Pavel Bagdonas. One of the couriers arrested had let his name slip, linking him to the drugs that had been smuggled into the UK. He was on the wanted list but had gone into hiding.

"Pavel Bagdonas." Atem smirked when Abdul flinched in response.

"You will cut me from deal. Make trouble for me!"

"Oh, you're already in trouble Abdul," Atem hissed. "But relax, I don't want in on your shady deal. I just want my money. Now, for your own good, I would suggest you show me where the rat hides his stuff?"

"Fuck you!" Abdul spat.

Atem shrugged. "If you wish to make it hard on yourself. He's all yours my friend."

Cracking his knuckles, Rafael grabbed Abdul by the collar, ready to hit him.

The man squealed. "No! No! Stop?! I take you, okay!"

He went willingly out to the van and directed them to a boarded up shop at the back of Brick Lane. Above it was a flat. "He lives there," Abdul pointed.

"On his own?"

"I think so."

"And the drugs stash?"

"I don't know... Honestly!"

They knocked the door. They could hear a man mumbling in Lithuanian. "Who is it?" He said in a thick accent, through the door.

"It's me! Abdul. I wish to talk."

"I have nothing to say to you."

Atem stepped in. "Pavel? I know you can't get rid of your stock. The moment you try, the police will be all over you. I might have a solution."

"Who are you?"

"They call me The Pharaoh. But if you don't want my help..."

There was some shuffling and grumbling before the door was opened by an overweight, balding man in a grubby vest and worn out denim jeans.

The man glared at them. "You Pharaoh?! I expect big man, not skinny runt," he snorted mockingly.

"It takes brains in this business, not just brawn. Don't be fooled by what you see." The icy smirk Atem shot him made Pavel fearful for his life.

"You not followed?" He looked about nervously.

"No. The street is clear," Atem confirmed.

Meanwhile, Abdul was apologising profusely for bringing Atem and Rafael here. "They made me! I owe him money!"

"Before I make a deal with you, I want to see the stock," Atem stated firmly.

Pavel seemed to hesitate as he considered his options. "If I say no?!"

"Look asshole, I'm doing you a favour! You are already pushing your luck. I know the other half of your shipment was seized and that the cops are looking for the rest. I would say my offer is the best offer you are going to get get!"

Ten minutes later, and after ensuring that they were not being watched, they were standing inside a lock up, just around the corner from the flat.

Hidden under a pile of sacking, was several large packs of class A drugs worth around four hundred thousand pounds.

"You got yourself quite a bit of stock Pavel!" Atem raised his eyebrows. "Shame it's useless to you. Without the right contacts, you will never be able to sell this lot!"

"I have backing of Lithuanian gang."

"Yes, but the gang have been busted. It's only a matter of time before the police find this lot and arrest you."

"Police stupid bastards!"

Atem snorted and shook his head. "They have people working the street, undercover. The moment you try to sell any of this, you will be arrested. I can get rid of it for you."

"You lie."

"Please yourself. We're leaving."

"Wait?! You sure you can help me?"

"I will need to take a sample to show my clients." Atem picked up one of the packs.

"You not take all that!"

"I will take what I like."

Pavel looked like he might object. He swore and started arguing with Abdul.

Gesturing wildly with his hands, Abdul spoke out. "I need money, you need money. We no choice."

"I will be in touch." Atem and Rafael left the arguing pair in the lock up and went back to the van.

Rafael made a whistling sound. "Looks like we've struck gold! That's a lot of shit! The quicker we stop it from getting on the streets, the better!"" He started the engine and they drove away.

Atem sat and looked at the tightly wrapped bundle in his lap. "Yeah. Good job those two are too stupid to know how to get it onto the street. I should get this to Mai so she can get it tested."

::::::::::::

It was getting late when Rafael dropped Atem off at Mai's flat in Chelsea. Atem did not care what time it was, he knew Mai would be pleased with the information that he had for her.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. Please leave a review/fav/follow etc... on the way out :-)**


	5. Chapter 5

A few more Yugioh characters are being introduced in this chapter. They have some rather interesting roles.

Just a little warning for some adult content (nothing graphic) and a bit of bad language.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

* * *

Dance With The Devil

Chapter 4

When Atem rang Mai's doorbell at eleven fifteen at night, she was furious at him for disturbing her sleep.

Atem had known Mai Kujaku since university. The daughter of the Ambassador at the Japanese Embassy in London and an English actress called Fay Valentine, Mai had grown up with a huge chip on her shoulder. Her father was always working and her mother had absolutely no interest in looking after children. For the majority of her young childhood, Mai was left with a nanny. And as soon as she was old enough, she was packed off to boarding school.

As a teenager, her parents suddenly started interfering in her life. Her father wanted her to go into politics and her mother insisted she should be an actress.

Mai was sick of the pair of them bickering over her future and disliked being told what she should do by people who only took an interest in her when they felt like it, so she rebelled by joining the police force.

Quickly rising through the ranks, Mai become a detective at the age of twenty four. She was now twenty six and a detective inspector on the Serious Crime Squad at New Scotland Yard.

Oddly enough, she now seemed to spend most of her time acting and playing politics!

Since both of them shied away from conventional relationships, she and Atem had remained 'friends with benefits' and often sought comfort in one another whenever they felt the need.

Mai glared at him through sleepy eye lids. "What the hell are you doing here at this hour?! Why won't anyone let me get some fucking sleep?!"

Pulling off his woolly hat, he grinned sheepishly. "Sorry! But you will want to see this." He opened a duffel bag, to reveal the package inside.

Her bleary eyes became wide and her mouth dropped open. "You had better come in." She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. "Where did you get it? And why on earth did you bring it here?!"

Looking sheepish, he scratched the back of his head. "I don't know, I just thought it was too important to wait until tomorrow!"

"Well, a few more hours wouldn't have hurt. I have just worked 18 hours straight and if I don't get some sleep I will become a basket case and start making mistakes."

"We need to arrange for a squad to go in and seize the rest!"

"You mean there's more?!"

"Yep! Around thirty more packets like this one."

"Shit!" Torn between the need for sleep and contacting the squad, she gnawed on her knuckle. Right now, her mind was a fog. She needed to rest. "I will deal with it in the morning! Now, if you are planning on staying, I suggest you take a shower first. You smell like a dog!"

"Oh!" He sniffed his sleeve. "I don't smell that bad! Do I?!"

Mai gave him an incredulous look and nodded her head.

Giving her puppy dog eyes, he sagged slightly. Her anger faded.

"You know where the towels are. When you're ready, I will be in bed." She took the bag of drugs from him and threw it into the wardrobe. "Out of sight, out of mind!"

Atem shrugged and went into the bathroom.

Turning on the shower, he stripped off and stepped into the warm spray. It felt good to wash away all the stress and grime of his day. She was right, he did smell bad.

After drying himself off, he went to the small vanity unit and dried his hair. He knew Mai would not be happy if he got into bed with wet hair.

He breathed into his hands and decided that she would not appreciate the smell of burger, jelly sweets and coffee on his breath either. Finding a spare toothbrush and bottle of mouthwash, he gave his mouth a thorough clean.

When he was done, he used some of her fancy moisture cream on his face and neck. "Mmm!" He raised his eyebrows at how silky it made his skin feel. It probably cost a fortune!

Wrapping a dry towel around his waist, he trotted into the bedroom to find her already dozing. He dropped the towel and slipped, naked, in beside her.

Sliding his arms around her, he began kissing her neck and shoulder. She was pretending to be asleep – he was sure.

After a few minutes, she could hold out no more and started giggling. Turning over, she pressed her self into him, French kissing him with unabashed passion.

This was how she really liked to unwind.

::::::::::::

It was good to wake up with the woman he loved. Yugi yawned and rolled over so that he was snuggled up to Anzu. He nuzzled her neck, breathing in her delicate scent. Oh! How he had missed being able to cuddle up with her like this.

They had only been married a few months but Yugi knew that he would love her for ever and would never tire of tender moments like these.

He gently caressed her neck with his lips and snaked an arm around her.

Anzu made a contented little noise and melted into him. She still appeared to be asleep but Yugi suspected she was awake, and was far too relaxed and cosy to want to move. He could not help but smile.

The morning sunlight was filtering in through the curtains, bathing the room in a soft golden glow. It had the makings of a pleasant, sunny spring day, but Yugi was in no hurry to get up and go outside just yet. He was comfortable where he was.

"You must have brought the nice weather with you from Domino," Anzu suddenly muttered, as if reading his mind.

He chuckled. "It was raining when I left Japan. But I was just thinking it was nice outside. Do you have to go to work? Or can we spend the day together?"

"What time is it?" She asked herself, shifting to peer at the alarm clock. "Ten o'clock!" She shrieked, "I really should get up! I'm supposed to be at work by eleven thirty!"

Yugi rolled onto his back to let her sit up. "I wish you didn't have to get up yet," he sighed, reaching his hands underneath her lacy vest to stroke her bare back. She made a contented humming sound as he began massaging away the tension in her muscles.

"Ooh, that's nice... there's a little sore spot... right there... where you are now." she informed him, as his thumb found the knotted muscle.

Massaging her back was making him feel aroused. He soon forgot about the knotted muscle, as other thoughts entered his mind. He sat up and began peppering her neck and shoulder with little kisses, while his hands wandered to more intimate parts of her body.

She was enjoying the attention, but reluctantly forced herself to pull away from his tender kisses.

"Sorry," she sighed. "I really do have to get to rehearsal. I won't get much time off between now and opening night!"

"Oh, okay..." He sounded a bit disappointed. "I was hoping we might get to go sightseeing together, later."

"What about Atem? Are you going to ring him today?"

"Yes, I guess I shouldn't put it off..."

"You will like him. I know you will both get on."

"I don't doubt that. It's just what to say to him that bothers me."

"You will figure it out." Anzu kissed him on the cheek and then hopped out of bed and trotted to the bathroom.

With his libido dampened a little, he sighed and watched as she closed the bathroom door.

::::::::::::

The following morning, Atem and Mai were late waking. It was only when Mai's phone rang at around ten, that they were jolted back into the land of the living.

It was Mai's boss; Seto Kaiba, and he was ready to tear into her for not arriving at work on time. He did not care that Mai already worked over and above what was expected of her.

She rolled her eyes angrily. "Yeah, well before you jump to conclusions about me being late, I may have made a breakthrough on the missing drugs. Far from shirking, as you put it, I have been working on a lead with one of my informants."

Atem raised an eyebrow. _"Informant! Is that what I am now?!"_ He mouthed at her.

After a brief conversation, Mai ended the call. "I don't want to tell him that you are helping, over the phone."

"If I'm to help, I will want a twenty thousand Pound reward," he grinned. "You know... cover my time and costs!"

"What?! Do you have no morals Sennen?"

"It's only the money I'm out of pocket by! I got short changed and Pegasus doesn't give a dam about it. I think I'm entitled to some reward for sticking my neck on the line."

"How so?"

He explained to her what had happened and how it had lead him to the missing drugs.

"If it was up to me, I would pay you. You've probably saved the taxpayer several hundred thousand by helping us keep that stuff off the street. We could have spent months investigating and dealing with the problems caused by people getting high on that stuff. I will talk to Seto and see what he says, but I can't promise."

"Not good enough! I want paying first, otherwise I won't say where the rest of the stuff is. Put it down as expenses or something. I know you pay low life informants, so why can't you pay me? I'm one of the good guys!"

"And to think I let you in my bed!"

"That's because I'm good."

"It's because you are cute!"

"Cute?!"

"Definitely cute," she winked. "Come on, I will make you some breakfast and then we must get to work."

While Mai was busy making bacon with scrambled eggs on toast, Atem made a pot of tea. He sat down with his mug and turned on his phone.

::::::::::::

"We really should get some breakfast," Anzu told Yugi as she finished getting dressed. He seemed in no hurry to move.

He yawned and stretched. "You go, I need to use the bathroom first."

"Time is ticking, you had better be quick!"

"I will be. What time are we leaving?"

"Ten forty five at the latest."

"No problem." He could get ready in ten minutes if need be!

The moment she was gone, he picked up his phone. The first thing on his list of things to do, was phone Atem.

::::::::::::

"Here ya go hon!" As Mai slid a large plate of bacon with scrambled eggs on toast in front of Atem, his phone rang.

He had not got round to putting Yugi or Anzu's numbers into his phone yet so it showed as an unknown number.

"You gonna answer that or stare at it like it might explode?!"

"Oh! Yeah..." He grabbed it and answered the call. "Hello..." He answered, in a slightly guarded manner.

"H..Hi... Is that Atem?"

"Speaking..." Atem's tone lightened a little. Something about this voice made his heart beat faster. It sounded like his own voice but slightly lighter in tone and delivery. "Is.. is that Yugi?!" He could not believe how tentative he sounded.

"Yeah," a little laugh. "How did you guess?"

"You sound... familiar. Are you in England?" Of course he was! Daft question, but he was trying to be friendly and make the conversation less... awkward.

"I arrived yesterday." They were interrupted when the bedroom door opened and Anzu walked back in, mug of tea in hand.

"Yugi! Why are you not dressed yet?! We really need to think about... Oops! Sorry, I didn't realise..." Looking embarrassed, she mouthed the last part. ".. _you were on the phone._ "

"Yes, it's Anzu," Yugi chuckled, turning to her. "Atem says hi!"

"Hi, Atem." She called back and waved. She had no idea why she waved at someone who could not see her and felt a bit stupid. "I will wait downstairs."

"No! Stay?" Yugi beckoned for her to sit beside him. Having her here made him feel more confident.

With his brain now working more freely, Yugi continued talking. "Anyway, Anzu has told me all about you and I was thinking... that we could meet up?"

"I would like that Yugi."

"What about today? If you're not busy."

"I have to work today. But... can we meet tonight? I can book a table at a restaurant. Anzu is welcome too."

"That would be great," Yugi beamed happily.

"Do you like Italian food?"

Yugi confirmed that he did. They arranged to meet up at seven, in a bar near the restaurant. Atem told Yugi how to find his way there and they ended the call.

Yugi felt his palms sweating. "That felt odd. It's difficult to explain how it feels to talk to him. What if it turns out he's not my brother after all?"

"Let's not worry about that," Anzu said soothingly. "At least you will have made a friend."

"I guess. At least I will know for sure." He stood up, "I don't want to make you late! I had better get ready."

::::::::::::

Ending the call, Atem put his phone down thoughtfully.

"Who was that? Not making dates with hot sounding guys behind my back now, are we?" Mai teased. "I didn't know you swung both ways!"

Atem's face went scarlet. "Of course not!" He almost shrieked.

"I'm sorry," Mai snickered. "I was only teasing. You should have seen your face, it was priceless."

"Not funny," he scowled. "If you want to know the truth, I'm trying to find my real family."

"Your real family?" Mai was a little stunned. "I thought..."

"That I was a Sennen by birth? Well I'm not. The only person who knows is Rafael, so what I'm about to tell you stays between us, okay?"

"I won't tell anyone. You know you can trust me!"

"Thanks... I just don't like to talk about it.. " There was a slight pause before he continued. "I was adopted. My parents told me that my real mother died in childbirth. My father was a foreign visitor, who left, not even knowing he had fathered a child. My adopted mother had lost a baby so they took me in and raised me as their own. I don't accept that I have no living family. I am meeting Yugi because he looks like me and may be the possible lead I have been seeking."

"Yugi?! Sounds Japanese! I thought you looked Asian! What's his family name? Do you want me to do some digging?"

"No, it's okay. But thanks for the offer. I might get you to ask forensics to do a DNA test though... If Yugi agrees to it."

"I can arrange that for you." Mai smiled at him. "So what is Yugi's family name?"

"Mutou."

"So your real name might be Mutou. Interesting! I hope you get on with your real family better than I do with mine!"

"I hope so too! Guess I will find out tonight." He swallowed the last of his breakfast and washed it down with orange juice.

::::::::::::

Yugi found his day interesting. After a brief visit to the Royal Opera House, with Anzu, he left her to continue her rehearsals.

The weather was pleasant and sunny, with a slight chill in the north easterly breeze. But if you could get out of the cold wind and find a sunny spot, it was nice.

He wandered along the Embankment and took great amusement in all the mime acts performing there. Some of the costumes were amazing.

The London Eye loomed large on the banks of the Thames so he joined the queue to go for a ride on it.

From the Eye, he took in the spectacular views across the Thames, to Westminster and the Houses of Parliament. However, it was a McDonalds takeaway that caught his attention. He decided to go there for a burger with fries, when he got off the London Eye.

The time seemed to fly by and at four o'clock, he went back to the Royal Opera House to meet Anzu.

Her training over ran and he had to wait until four forty before she finally appeared. In the meantime, his feet had started aching from walking around all day, so he found a seat and sat down.

With nothing to occupy his mind, he started to get butterflies about meeting Atem.

"Yugi?!" Anzu spotted him and came hurrying over. He stood up to greet her with a hug.

"We should get going, otherwise we won't have enough time to get ready to meet Atem," he told her. Anzu sighed.

"I am afraid you will have to go on your own. One of the dancers twisted her ankle. They had to bring in a replacement and move one or two people around. Christina and Roberto have asked us to work until seven, to ensure everyone is okay with the changes."

Yugi looked horrified. He was counting on Anzu to ensure that he did not get lost trying to navigate around London! And since she already knew Atem, it would make him feel a bit more at ease if she was there with him -just in case they did not get on for some reason. "Are you sure?!" He gulped. "What if we don't like each other?! What if I get lost trying to find the pub?!"

"You will get on just fine. And you have a great sense of direction, so stop worrying!"

"I guess... Are you sure you can't get out of rehearsal?"

"I really can't. As Prima Ballerina, I have to stay." She smiled apologetically and kissed him.

"Well, okay... How are you getting home later? I'm worried about you travelling alone. Will anyone be with you?"

"Yes, Christina will be with me. So stop worrying!"

"You're my wife, it's my job to worry about you." he pouted.

She slapped his arm playfully. "How did I survive the last three weeks without my protector?!"

Laughing, they said goodbye and Yugi made his way to the underground station.

He made it back to the house, without getting lost, to find Patrick in the kitchen making the evening meal. The children were in the sitting room, supposedly doing their homework.

However, when Yugi peered into the sitting room, they were playing games on their laptops, instead of doing their homework!

Both children jumped and instantly pretended to be doing homework.

"Don't say anything to Dad?!" Zoe pleaded.

Yugi winked. "I won't." They reminded him of himself at that age.

After explaining to Patrick that he was going out and would not be eating with them that evening, he went upstairs to shower and change.

::::::::::::

In contrast to Yugi's day, Atem's could not have been more different.

When he and Mai arrived at New Scotland Yard, the team were waiting for them. Mai's boss, DSI Seto Kaiba, was not happy that they had taken so long in bringing this new information to his attention.

"Is this your so called informant?! My office, both of you. Now!"

Giving Atem a nervous glance, Mai followed. Smirking, Atem walked in behind her and closed the door.

"What the fuck are you two playing at?!" Seto hissed.

"I needed rest," Mai complained. "He came to me in the middle of the night and there was no point..."

"So you thought you would spend the night having sex instead of informing me of developments?!" Seto snapped. interrupting her.

"I'm sorry if you are offended that we didn't invite you Kaiba, but I don't do threesomes." Atem knew that his comment would anger the DSI, but he did not care.

Kaiba's face turned red and he opened his mouth to say something, but Atem stepped forward, opened his back pack and slammed the package they assumed to be heroin on Kaiba's desk. "You might want to get that analysed."

"Where is the rest of it Sennen?"

"In a lock up just off Brick Lane. There was no point in disturbing you in the middle of the night. And besides, the stuff isn't going anywhere. The scumbag who's sitting on it is just a middleman, who has no idea how to get this stuff onto the street. He acts tough, but deep down is shit scared of being caught by police or having his throat cut for trying to sell on another gangs turf."

"Hmph.." Seto sat back in his chair and laced his fingers together behind his head. "I suppose you want me to congratulate you on this? Well don't get beyond yourselves." He threw the package at Atem. "Give this to Sutton and ask him to analyse it. I want it done immediately. Meanwhile, we assemble a team to go in and seize the remainder. Is that clear?"

"Yes Sir," Mai replied. "Erm.. there is something else. Atem has asked for £20,000. The criminal gang ripped him off by that and it is how he found the missing drugs."

"Get out!"

Atem didn't answer. He just turned and walked out. He did not expect much for the dangerous work he was doing. But without men like him, the public would not be as safe as they were. However, it was his neck that was on the line and he did at least expect some respect.

"Sorry," Mai said sheepishly. "I tried."

"It's okay. Not your fault." Atem handed the packet to Sutton, and relayed Seto's orders.

::::::::::::

The next few hours were spent planning the raid. They had received confirmation that the drug Atem had found was indeed heroin, but had been bulked up with dangerous amounts of a pesticide chemical, that would probably kill anyone who took it.

"It seems these low lives will go to any lengths to maximise profits and cause misery," Mai sighed.

"Then it's a good job we are one step ahead of them this time," Seto growled.

"You mean Atem was one step ahead, not us. We have him to thank."

"If you are hinting about the money, Pegasus has agreed to reimburse his expenses, providing the operation to seize the rest is successful," Seto replied, blandly. "Let me know when the team is assembled and ready to go. I want to attend to this one personally." He got up and went back to his office. Mai smirked. Atem would be pleased.

::::::::::::

Taking a few moments to himself, Atem sat down in Mai's office with a mug of tea and a packet of crisps. Mai was just off somewhere, gathering the team for a final briefing before the raid.

Thirty minutes before, he had used a burner phone to ring Pavel Bagdonas. He had told the man that he had a buyer for his stock. "How do I know to trust you?" Pavel had asked.

Atem had felt his palms sweating as he replied. "You don't have much choice. I will arrive with a tall man with brown hair, wearing a pale grey suit. Providing he is happy, he will buy your stock."

"You come unarmed?"

"So you can shoot us dead and take the money? I don't think that's happening." After a tense exchange, they agreed to meet at two fifteen at the lock up.

::::::::::::

There was no choice left for Abdul. News had reached his boss that he had used some of the money to fund his own business enterprise. Because of this, the deal for the arms was off and the money that had been paid for the weapons, was not going to be refunded. His boss was spitting nails.

Fearing for his life, he frantically started packing. If he was quick, he could get to Germany and hide out at his uncles place.

He was offered a possible lifeline, when Pavel rang to say that The Pharaoh had a buyer for the heroin.

However, before he had time to go and claim his profits, there was a knock at the door. He knew there was no point in refusing to answer; Marik would not leave until he answered, and Abdul needed to go out soon so that he could be in on the deal.

Gulping nervously, he answered the door.

Marik stepped inside and grinned at him. "You don't look very happy to see me my friend!" He said, in his native Arabic.

"I'm I... I have a good business opportunity for us to make an extra quarter of a million. I didn't have chance to inform you..."

"You expect me to believe that?!"

"It's the truth... please," he fell to his knees and bowed lowly, pressing his face onto the floor in front of Marik. "I ask for noting... I just wanted to make more money for you, my Master."

"Get up, you snivelling parasite." Marik kicked him. He did as he was told.

"Yes Master..."

"Tell me about this deal you have made?"

Abdul spilled the whole story.

::::::::::::

Atem was feeling a little nervous. He did not trust Pavel, or that worm Abdul. What if they had got cold feet and moved the stuff somewhere else? No, he was sure they would not risk that.

He looked at his watch. It was nearly time to go. He hoped this would be over quickly so that he could go home to get some rest, shower, shave and change into some fresh clothes before meeting Yugi. He really did not want to have to cancel their evening out.

The door opened. It was Mai. "Ready?"

"Yep!" He nodded. Hopefully, this would all be over in an hour or so. He got up, and following her out, noted the armed officers in their protective clothing. Mai put on her own bullet proof vest and handed one to Atem. "Put this on under your jacket, Just in case," she told him.

"I don't think..."

Mai interrupted him. "It's compulsory.. Wear it!"

Nodding, he reluctantly took off his jacket and put on the vest. Placing his jacket back on he zipped it up to hide the bullet proof vest.

"You had better not stuff this up Sennen." Seto hissed.

They went out to the plain, unmarked police vehicles. Atem sat in the lead car with Seto and Mai, giving instructions on where to go. The van containing the armed officers, followed. They would be called on to intervene, if needed. Everyone hoped that they would not be.

Tension filled the car as they pulled up outside the lock up. The van parked just around the corner.

Seto adjusted the inconspicuous wire he was wearing, before he and Atem got out of the car. Mai waited in the car.

Atem hammered on the door. "Pavel?! It's The Pharaoh."

The door opened and as Atem and Seto stepped from sunlight into the dimly lit lock up garage, they spotted Pavel. He was twitchy and sweaty. Atem had been expecting Abdul, but with him was a rather insane looking man, with unkempt blonde hair and tan complexion.

"Hello Pharaoh! Or should I say Atem Sennen!" Atem did not flinch at this unexpected development and maintained his composure.

"Marik Ishtar! I might have known you would show up eventually. What have you done with Abdul?"

Marik shrugged. "Abdul outlived his usefulness, so I fired him." The self satisfied smirk almost made Atem shudder. He guessed Abdul was probably dead.

"If you two have finished greeting one another, I would like to get down to business!" Seto snapped, impatiently.

"And I know who you are too, Seto Kaiba. This is a set up. You're a fucking cop!" Marik yelled, pulling a pistol and firing without hesitation, straight at Atem.

Outside, Mai was listening through Seto and Atem's wire's. "Shit! He's onto us! Go! Now!" She shouted, and without hesitation, four armed officers charged in.

* * *

 **Mai, Seto and Marik have made their appearances. One or two more might get involved later as well.**

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Please review.**


	6. Chapter 6

Atem and Yugi finally get to meet up in this chapter, but not before Atem gets into a bit of bother! Another popular character also makes an appearance.

Warning: Someone gets shot by a gun.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

* * *

Dance With The devil

Chapter 6.

From the moment the gun went off to the moment the bullet hit him, Atem barely even had time to blink, let alone react. The bullet struck him in the right hand side of his chest. Pain exploded through him as the air was knocked out of his lungs. The force of the impact knocked him backwards and he fell onto the concrete floor with a thud. Everything seemed to slip away from him for a moment as his vision became blurred and his ears started ringing from the sound of the gun shot.

Letting loose an expletive, Seto Kaiba reacted with lightening reflexes. Pulling his own firearm, he fired once; not to kill but to wound. The bullet hit Marik in the shoulder at such close range that the bullet went right through him, damaging the nerves and shattering his collarbone and shoulder blade.

Marik immediately cried out and dropped the gun he was readying to shoot for a second time. Knocked backwards by the impact, he crumpled to the floor.

Just seconds later, the doors to the lock up burst open and three police marksmen charged in, followed by Mai.

"Down on the ground! Put your hands up, where I can see them!" A rifle was pointed at Pavel's head. The man immediately did as he was told.

A second officer had his gun trained on Marik, who was groaning and clutching his broken, bloodied shoulder.

"Get an ambulance!" Seto yelled. "I want this man kept alive so I can question and charge him."

Mai was more concerned for Atem, who was slowly recovering. She fumbled to pull out her phone and called for medical assistance.

"I'm okay!" Atem tried to laugh off his ordeal but it made him cough. He pulled open his jacket and looked down at where the bullet was lodged in the kevlar vest. "Guess this did it's job, huh!"

"You just used up a life Sennen," Seto growled.

Atem's reply was a groan. "... Shit! It hurts."

"It would have hurt a whole lot more had it gone straight through your puny chest," Seto answered.

"Thank God I made you wear this vest!" Mai let out a sigh of relief. "We should get you checked over, just to ensure you don't have any cracked ribs."

"I'm fine! My jacket is ruined though." Poking his finger through the hole in his coat, he staggered, unsteadily, to his feet.

Worried he might fall over again, Mai held onto him.

The sound of sirens approaching indicated the arrival of the ambulance. Seto had already handcuffed Pavel and he was being lead away to the police car.

One of the medics took Atem out to an ambulance to examine him. He was told that he should go to the hospital for an X-ray on his chest.

"It's just a bruise," he protested. "I will go home to rest."

"I need you to sign this then. It's to say you declined hospital treatment," the paramedic told him.

Mai folded her arms and glared at Atem. "Don't be silly! What if your ribs _are_ broken?"

"They're not!."

"You don't know that!" Mai turned to the paramedic. "I don't care what he says, he is going to hospital. I will come with him to make sure he doesn't try and sneak away."

Pouting, Atem groaned. "What are you now, my wife?!"

"If you weren't already hurt I would smack you!"

A reluctant Atem, was taken to hospital to be checked over.

::::::::::::

After nearly two hours of waiting in Accident and Emergency, he was allowed to go home.

"I told you my ribs weren't broken."

Mai could tell he was sulking and did not argue. "I will drive you home," she offered.

He was tired, bruised and his head was pounding, but despite her nagging, he accepted the lift. The quicker he got home, the more time he would have to get ready. And he had no intention of letting Yugi down.

"There is no way you should be going out after what happened!" Mai scolded.

"Come with me then?"

"And play gooseberry on your date?! I don't even know the guy!"

"Yugi is bringing his wife, Anzu. We can make it a foursome."

"I can't. Kaiba wants me back asap. De-briefing and paperwork. He also wants me to interview Bagdonas. It will probably be another late nighter."

"What about Marik?"

"He's in a serious condition, Kaiba tells me he is having emergency surgery. We will know more in the morning. In the meantime, you must rest. Kaiba expects you in tomorrow, he wants you to make a statement. Pegasus also wants to speak to you."

"I won't be told what to do..." Atem hissed. "I will do as I please." He was feeling sore, tired and cranky.

"Sennen...!" Mai glared at him and sighed when she saw how tired he looked. "I wish I could stay with you tonight but I have to go. Just look after yourself, okay?" She leaned forward and kissed him quickly before grabbing her purse and leaving.

::::::::::::

Oblivious to what had been happening to Atem, Yugi went up too his room to get ready. He cleaned his teeth and took a shower.

The time was getting on and he would need to hurry up if he wanted to avoid being late.

Unsure about what to wear, he decided to go with a smart pair of dark grey trousers, a lilac shirt, with a warm but smart jacket and his favourite black shoes. He doubted he would need to wear a tie - that would probably be over-dressing.

He grabbed his wallet and at just after six thirty, he was ready to leave.

The two children, Zoe and Nathan came running out of the study to see where he was going and to escape their homework for a few minutes.

"Have you seen the news?" Patrick asked him, as he ushered the children away. "There was a major drugs raid in Brick Lane this afternoon!"

"What?! Where's Brick Lane?" Yugi was worried it might be close to where Anzu was or to where he was going.

"Oh! Don't worry, it's several miles from central London. Apparently, the stuff they sized would have been worth a million on the street! He shook his head sadly. "Thank God we have such good police officers to keep us all safe."

"Yeah, it is. Anyway, I had better go. I don't want to be late." Yugi did not envy the police who had to deal with those evil criminals.

Thinking no more about it, he made his way to the nearest underground train station.

::::::::::::

After Mai left him, Atem ran himself a bath. He had just over an hour before he needed to leave for his evening with Yugi.

While the bath was running, he brushed his teeth and shaved off the two days worth of stubble.

Testing the water temperature was to his satisfaction, he climbed in and lowered himself to a sitting position, gingerly touching the bruise that was forming on the right side of his rib-cage.

When he took in a deep breath to expand his lungs, the pain almost made him feel sick.

The hospital had told him that his ribs were not broken but the bruising would be almost as painful as it would if they were.

As he lay back and immersed himself in the warm, soothing water, he felt some of the tension leaving him. Being shot had been a terrifying experience. He shuddered at the thought that if it had not been for Mai's insistence that he wore that vest, he would most likely be dead.

He did not want to die without having found his real family. Yugi would have gone to meet him, completely unaware that he was dead. They would never have known if they really were brothers.

Tears welled up in his eyes and he quickly splashed his face with water. He was alive and he would meet Yugi, so why was he being so stupid, crying like this?

He was unable to stop his tears. For the next ten minutes all the stress from the last few months of working undercover, and now his brush with death came pouring out of him. And each time his breath hitched the pain in his ribs gave him a reminder of just how close he had come.

::::::::::::

Seto had been waiting impatiently. He stood up from his seat and approached the surgeon as Marik was wheeled from the operating theatre, into the Intensive care unit. Marik had survived the surgery but had lost a lot of blood and was still not out of danger.

"How soon before he wakes up? It is important that we talk to him as soon as possible."

"We are keeping him sedated... probably until early tomorrow afternoon. We will call you then." The doctor in charge, informed him.

Seto opened his mouth to say that it was not good enough but changed his mind. The surgeons knew what they were doing and it would not be wise to piss them off when he needed their co-operation.

There was nothing more Seto could do by hanging around here. Before leaving, he stationed an armed officer outside Marik's room, to keep guard. A junior officer was also told to stay so that she could keep Seto informed of any changes in Marik's condition.

"Should he wake up or if he gets worse, you are to call me immediately." Seto told her, before leaving the hospital to go back to the police station.

As he drove back to head quarters, he received a call with the news that Abdul had been found dead at his flat.

A quantity of recreational drugs and some unregistered guns had also been found. The place was now a crime scene.

Seto already knew it was Marik who had killed him. In some ways, Marik had done the City of London a favour – Seto would hardly mourn Abdul's death, but the extra paperwork would be a pain.

Pulling into his allocated parking spot, Seto checked the time to see it was already seven thirty in the evening. He stifled a yawn. He had been up since five this morning but could not afford to be tired.

He went to the interview room where Mai had just finished interviewing Bagdonas. "Has he said anything?"

"He claims that he had never met Ishtar until today. I think he's telling the truth. We've run some checks on Ishtar and it seems that – as far as we know - this is the first time he has been in the UK. I asked him if he knew of Akefia Bakura and he said he had never heard of him."

"Do we know where Bakura is at the moment?"

"Unfortunately, no! From what Atem told us, the man uses various different passports, and, can apparently break into anywhere he wishes and then vanish into thin air!"

Seto scoffed, mockingly. "So we don't know if he is in the UK?"

"No, but from what our intelligence officers in Cairo tell us, Bakura and Ishtar are lovers. Both are wanted for questioning by police there, and they say they will be seeking Ishtar's extradition so that he can face charges in Egypt.

"Hmph! They will have to get in the queue."

"I will put a warning out at all airports and seaports. I will notify police forces around the country to be on the lookout for this man, Bakura."

"Yes, but make sure news doesn't leak that we're after him. I don't want him spooked and doing one of his infamous vanishing acts on us," Seto mocked, with some sarcasm.

"Yes Sir. Anything else?" Mai asked, before leaving his office.

"No, that's all. You may go home. Get some rest. I hope to talk to Ishtar tomorrow and I would like you with me." Mumbling about all the sodding paperwork, he picked up the reports that had landed on his desk while he had been out.

Nodding, Mai turned to leave. Just as she reached the door, Seto looked up from his paperwork. "How is Sennen?"

With a soft smile, Mai turned round to address him. "He is a little bruised and shaken, but fine."

"Good. I want him here by nine in the morning."

::::::::::::

Yugi got off at Piccadilly Circus. He followed Atem's instructions to walk along Shaftesbury Avenue and turn left into Sherwood Street. He had no trouble finding St. James' Tavern, where Atem had suggested they meet.

He felt a little bewildered when he stepped into the bar. It was fairly busy. He scanned the crowd for someone who resembled himself and spotted a rather familiar looking head of hair. Did his own hair really look as shocking as that?!

With no sign of his earlier breakdown in the bath, Atem was now his usual image of confidence. He took a sip of his wine and glanced up for about tenth time in five minutes, to see if Yugi had arrived yet.

His eyes instantly picked out the all too familiar spiky, tri colour hair. Did his own hair really look as shocking as that?! He had never really thought about the impact that having such vibrant, gravity defying hair, could cause.

Their eyes locked, and for a moment, Yugi faltered in his steps and looked a little hesitant. Atem felt his own heart speed up. He was actually feeling nervous.

A small smile suddenly lit up Yugi's face and Atem responded with a smile of his own. Yugi put his hand up, waving in acknowledgement and hurriedly pushed through the crowd of drinkers to where Atem was sitting.

"Hey! Yugi?" Atem offered a handshake.

"Yes! That's me..." Yugi laughed nervously and accepted the handshake. "Hi! And you're Atem?"

"I am..." Atem noticed that they were more or less the same height. Perhaps Yugi was a little shorter, but maybe it was because he was slouching. Atem then remembered that in Japanese culture it was customary to bow. Perhaps Yugi was following the Japanese custom of being humble.

Suddenly realising that by taking an upright, commanding posture, he might appear rude, Atem hastily attempted a rather awkward bow. Their foreheads accidentally bumped. Yugi was the one to apologise.

Atem felt a bit embarrassed. "Don't apologise, it was my fault for being clumsy."

Yugi laughed. "It was both our faults." His open, friendly smile made Atem feel at ease. Relaxing a little, he grinned.

"Would you like a drink?"

"Yes please, I'll have a Coke Zero."

"Coke Zero?" Atem raised an eyebrow. "You don't drink?"

"Not very often. Well... okay, maybe I will have what you're having then."

"It's Pinot Grigio. It's not very nice actually. It tastes more like moth balls," he chuckled. "If I were you I would have something else."

"Oh! Okay," Yugi scratched the back of his head.

Atem's heart missed a beat; he often did the same thing when he felt a bit out of place!

"Maybe I will have a beer then," Yugi decided.

"Any particular one?" Atem caught himself staring at Yugi a little too intently.

Yugi's face flushed at the way Atem looked at him and he quickly turned his head to glance at the choice of lagers, bitters and stouts that were on draught. "Erm...lager or bitter..."

"I quite like bitter. The London Pride or Theakstons is okay," Atem told him.

"I will have the London Pride then," Yugi decided.

Atem ordered him a pint and told the barman his wine was unpleasant and asked to change it for the London Pride. The barman apologised for the bad wine and agreed to change it for the beer.

"Sorry if I just made you feel awkward," Atem told him. "It's just.. that thing you did - scratching your head." Yugi looked at him blankly, as though he did not understand. "Yeah, this." Atem rubbed the back of his head, in the same way Yugi had a moment ago. "Well, I do the same thing."

"Oh! I didn't know what you meant at first. Did I do that?! I don't even realise I'm doing it!"

"Yeah, you did. We both do it. I do it when I am deep in thought and trying to explain something difficult, or when I try to ask a girl out and I think she might say no," he grinned.

"Now that you mention it. I think I do the same," Yugi laughed.

 _Must be genetic,_ Atem thought as they picked up their drinks and moved away from the bar.

"So, what do you think of London? Have you been sightseeing yet?" Atem asked.

"I like it. The weather was nice today so I walked along the Embankment, went on the London Eye and walked across the Millennium Bridge - I did a lot of walking. Then I went to meet Anzu, but she had too work late, which is why she couldn't come tonight. How was your day?"

"Work was pretty full on! I nearly didn't make it, but I was determined not to let you down."

"What do you do for work?"

Atem could not tell Yugi the truth about his undercover work for the intelligence services. He felt bad having to lie to Yugi. "I'm in finance. Here..." He handed Yugi his business card.

"Millennium Solutions. Cool name. Is it like investment banking and stuff?"

"Yeah, stocks and shares. I manage quite a few investment portfolios for very wealthy people who don't like to pay much tax. It's all perfectly legal," he smirked. "What about you? Anzu told me you were into games."

"Yes, I love to play games. Grandpa owns a game store called Kame Game. He is not much use with computers so I run the online sales. I am also a freelance game designer. Duel Links is one of mine," he stated proudly.

"That's great." Atem had never heard of it. "What sort of game is it?"

Yugi looked a little bit disappointed that he did not know. "It is an online version of Magic and Wizards, which is more commonly known as Duel Monsters."

"Oh! Yes I've heard of Duel Monsters."

"Do you play?" Yugi asked hopefully.

"I play card games, but not that one I'm afraid... sorry."

"Oh! Right..." Yugi looked like he was unsure about how to respond.

"Maybe you could teach me how to play Duel Monsters?" Atem interjected quickly. "But I warn you, I'm a quick study. And I seldom lose a game once I master it."

"Is that a challenge?" Yugi beamed.

"That _is_ a challenge," Atem smirked. "We should drink up and get to the restaurant. Our table is booked for half seven. I did actually book for three as I thought Anzu might come."

Neither had finished their beer so they left the remainder and made to leave.

Yugi noticed that when someone accidentally knocked into him as they squeezed through the crowd, Atem winced as though he was in pain.

"Are you okay?" Yugi asked, when they reached the exit. "You looked like you were in pain when that girl turned round and her bag caught you."

"Oh! It's nothing. I pulled a muscle in my chest while I was in the gym this morning." Another lie. Sometimes he wondered if he even knew what the truth was anymore. Maybe it was time to get out while he still had some grasp of reality. And after today, he realised that he actually valued his life.

"Is something wrong?!" Yugi was worried because Atem had gone quiet and looked a bit tense.

"Yeah!" He snapped back into focus. "Just got a lot on my mind."

"I feel the same." Yugi thought he was referring to the possibility they were related. "It's not everyday you meet someone who looks like they could be your identical twin.. or at least, brother."

"Yes, we could be. We should continue this conversation once we are seated." They had reached the restaurant and were greeted by a waiter and shown to their seats.

The waiter asked them what they wanted to drink. and after conferring with Yugi, Atem ordered a bottle of red wine.

"So, maybe we should start by telling each other a bit about our parents," Yugi suggested.

"I don't know anything about my history," Atem began. "I was adopted as a baby, after my mother died giving birth. I don't know who my father was, but I have been told he was a foreign visitor. That's all I know."

"Where did you grow up?"

"Saudi Arabia. My step mother lost a baby a couple of months before I was born, and was told she couldn't have any more children. When my real mother died she was quick to adopt me. I have step brothers and sisters because my father has two other wives." When Yugi looked a bit disgusted, Atem added. "That sort of thing is allowed in Saudi. I don't approve either."

"I thought you might have grown up in Egypt, because you are named after a Pharaoh. My grandfather is a keen archaeologist and has lived in Egypt, on and off, since the mid 1950's. He met my grandmother there - she was Egyptian and worked for the antiquities office. My Dad was born in Egypt."

"My stepfather spent a lot of time in Egypt. Around the time I was born, a previously unknown Pharaoh was discovered. My real mother named me after the Pharaoh. My adopted parents loved the name so much they kept it."

 _That's too much of a coincidence,_ Yugi thought, frowning and chewing his bottom lip. The conversation he'd had with Grandpa was weighing on his mind. The man sitting across the table knew nothing of the pain Yugi's family had gone through when their own baby was kidnapped and later found murdered. The name linked them, the birth date linked them, and from what Atem was telling him about his own past, the truth might have been covered up. What if the deceased baby they had identified as Atem Mutou was not who they thought he was?

Yugi wanted to tell Atem everything he knew. He wanted to tell him his theory, but they hardly knew each other. If he were to tell Atem that someone had kidnapped him as a baby and faked his murder, only for it all to turn out a coincidence, it would cause a lot of heartbreak for all those involved.

A busy restaurant, was not place to discuss such a sensitive family issue. So far, they were having a great evening just getting to know one another – it would be a shame to spoil it.

"So, Yugi... What about you? What was your childhood like?" Atem was studying him intently.

"Oh! Nothing unusual. Just.. ordinary really," he shrugged.

"You can't be that ordinary!" Atem was a bit taken back by the lack of response. "You have a beautiful ballerina for a wife. And she told me that you are a bit of a celebrity in Japan! That doesn't seem ordinary to me!"

Yugi flushed. "I guess I always play myself down a bit. I don't like to brag, but yeah, I guess I'm quite lucky. At home, I'm known as the Game King. I don't play as much as I used to though. These days, I prefer to design games."

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"No. I always wanted a brother though! It's kinda boring playing games on your own."

"Oh, right." Atem was disappointed. Although he did not really know what he expected. Yugi was hardly going to tell him that his mother had a baby and gave it up for adoption. "You said your grandfather lived in Egypt? Do they know about me?"

"I know what you are thinking. It's okay to ask, I don't mind. I already asked my Grandpa if he had any other children. He said he didn't. If you're wondering if my father could also be your father – I haven't actually spoken to him about you. I didn't want to say anything to my parents until we know for sure that you and I are brothers."

Atem nodded. "I understand... I would not wish to cause trouble for your parents. Would they have been married when I was born?"

"Yes, they were." Yugi did not elaborate further. "I thought I would talk to my family after I met you. Is there a way for us to find out if we're definitely related?" Yugi suggested.

"There is. Shall I order another bottle of wine?" He added, pouring the rest of the bottle into his and Yugi's glasses. They had finished their starters but the main course had not yet arrived and they had already finished the first bottle. Yugi figured it was nerves making them drink so quickly. Before Yugi had chance to suggest that they probably shouldn't have another bottle, Atem attracted the waiter's attention and ordered another.

Their main courses also arrived. They were both hungry and tucked in. The conversation moved to lighter topics, such as their favourite food, cars, animals – anything they could think of that they might both have the same taste in.

Yugi felt that the evening had been a success. They both got on well, and even if they turned out to not to be brothers, he still hoped that he had found a good friend. As they parted company, Atem told him that he could arrange for them to have a DNA test and would be in touch.

Yugi agreed. They both needed to know, one way or another.

::::::::::::

The hospital was much quieter at night and there were less staff. All that could be heard was the steady beep of the monitors and the chatter of the two nurses looking after the patients.

Should any emergencies occur, there was a registrar on hand, but he had stepped out for a quick break.

Bakura loved sneaking around undetected. It was fun. However, inside, he was filled with anger.

He knew the Pharaoh had set him up. He had been listening in on the drugs deal through Marik's phone and that bastard Sennen was working for the police. Bakura now suspected that the so called weapons he had purchased would probably turn out to be a container full of junk and when they went to the port to recover the weapons, they would walk into a trap.

Bakura was screwed. He had only become involved with the terrorists because he was bored. He did not give a shit about their cause. But it had been exciting to use their money to purchase guns, rocket launchers and missiles. Now they would be out of pocket and they would most likely come after him and Marik for revenge.

And Marik was already laying in a hospital bed, badly wounded, which left him vulnerable.

The whole thing was a mess, he would have to use all his cunning and skill to stay one step ahead of the police and the terrorists if he wanted to remain alive.

Unchallenged, he walked into the staff changing room, masquerading as an employee.

It had not been hard to obtain a staff pass. An unsuspecting junior doctor had wandered into the staff room to catch a few moments of sleep. His neck had cracked so easily and the thrill of the kill sent shivers down Bakura's spine.

Taking the young man's clothing and name tag he pulled the pale blue top on over his tee shirt – he was now masquerading as Doctor James Staunton.

He tied his hair back and casually walked up to the intensive care unit. "Good evening." He gave a warm smile to the young female officer who was on duty,

"Good evening doctor," she blushed at his kind, easy manner and handsome features.

Convincingly, he strolled over to the desk and smiled at the two nurses. "Hello. I'm the duty doctor from the emergency department. I'm new here, so I just thought I would pop up while I'm on my break and introduce myself."

Right on queue, one of the patients monitors started beeping. The nurses rushed to the patient to check on her.

"Do you need my help?" Bakura asked, hoping they did not. He had no idea what any of these machines did and his sadistic instinct told him to rip out all the wires to see what happened.

"No, it's okay. Just a kinked IV line."

"Okay, I will just check the other patients are all comfortable."

"Oh! Yes please. We have a gunshot victim in that side room. If you could just check he is comfortable. His notes are in the pocket inside the door."

Bingo! This was even easier than he thought it would be. The armed officer even stepped aside and opened the door for him. As much as it pained him, he made sure he said thank you.

He quietly closed the door and walked softly to the bed. Marik appeared to be sleeping peacefully.

His right shoulder was covered by a dressing, while heart and blood pressure monitors beeped steadily.

Bakura gently ran his fingers around the IV line in the back of Marik's hand. "What have they done to you my little bunny," he whispered gently. He was not at all tempted to rip the line from his lovers hand. Instead, he gently laced their fingers together and leaned forward, planting a kiss on Marik's lips. His lips felt so dry.

Irritated by the lack of response, Bakura snarled. "I must leave now, but I promise, I will kill the person responsible for putting you here." In his head, Bakura blamed Atem and not Seto for Marik's condition.

Composing himself, he left the room, closing the door to the room as he did so.

They really should get better security, he told himself, as he left the hospital.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed.**

 **Please review.**


	7. Chapter 7

This was quite a difficult chapter to write. I was trying to get the right balance of emotions and it was surprisingly hard. Anyway, I hope it comes across in a believable way.

To my Guest reviewer: Atem and Mai might end up together, who knows ; -)

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

* * *

Dance With The Devil

Chapter 7

At Atem's insistence, Yugi took a taxi home. Yugi tried to argue that he was quite happy to pay his own fare, but gave up when Atem said he had an account with the London Taxi Service and would write it off as expenses.

As he sat in the back of the cab, Yugi realised that it was a good job he was taking a taxi home, because he he had drunk far more than he would have normally. The alcohol seemed to be having the effect of enhancing his feelings of both excitement and apprehension at the prospect of Atem being his brother.

He knew that Atem would be happy if the DNA test was a positive match, but how would they handle the disappointment if it turned out that they were _not_ brothers?Yugi was so convinced that Atem was his brother, that he had hardly considered the possibility that he might not be!

However, what really worried Yugi was his parents! Given how emotional his mother became whenever her supposedly deceased son was mentioned, the news that her lost baby was alive and well, and had grown into a fine man, would come as a bit of a shock! Would it be easy to just sweep away the pain of twenty five years of heartbreak? Atem had grown up in an entirely different culture, with a very different lifestyle. His real family would be complete strangers to him!

Yugi worried that his mother might still be stuck in the past and still see Atem as her tiny baby. To make up those lost years, she might want to smother him in motherly love. And Atem did not strike Yugi as the sort of person who liked a lot of fuss being made over him.

Assuming the DNA test did come back positive, he could not just phone up and say 'hi Mum, I have found my dead brother alive and well.'

It kept spinning around in his mind, making him more and more dizzy – or maybe that was the alcohol!

::::::::::::

With very little help from Yugi, the taxi driver found the address without any difficulties. Thanking him, Yugi got out of the taxi and walked, a little unsteadily, up to the front door.

Fumbling to get the key in the lock, he eventually let himself into the house and took his shoes off in the entrance hall as quietly as he could.

Tripping over mat, he knocked the shoe rack over and almost swore. He hastily picked up the shoes and stuffed them back onto the rack, in no particular pairing!

Anzu was still awake when he entered their room, and she was keen to know how his evening had gone.

Pickled in alcohol and none to forthcoming with sensible, coherent information Yugi sat down on the bed and was immediately distracted by the outline of her breasts, through her silky nightdress.

He leaned over to kiss her. "You didn't have to wait up, but I'm glad you did."

She avoided his advances, by bracing her hands against his shoulders. "Stop that, it's too late! And, eww... you taste of alcohol and garlicky food."

He chuckled. "Sorry, I didn't realise." He sat back on his haunches, grinning stupidly.

"Yugi!" She smirked, remembering the only other time he had too much to drink: They were celebrating his victory in the World Championships and he had become very outgoing and hilariously funny, after drinking too much champagne!

"How much have you had to drink?"

"Way... too much," he grinned, with a slightly glazed expression. "We had beer and shared a bottle of wine. Then Atem ordered another one. Then we had coffee with brandy in it and cream on top. I didn't want to look like a wimp by saying no!" He yawned. "It's making me feel a bit strange now." Anzu noticed that he was slurring his words slightly.

"Ugh! What a mixture! You should drink some water before you go to sleep..."

"Don't you want me to make passionate love to you?!" He grinned lopsidedly.

She gave him an incredulous look. "I'm not sure you are capable at the moment! Just go and get ready for bed."

"Is that a no then?!" He went to get off the bed and fell onto the floor. "Ooops! Bed's not as big as I thought it was!" He got up and padded to the bathroom to brush his teeth and get a drink of water.

When he came back, Anzu was pretending to be asleep. He was still not giving up though. Stripping off his clothing, he slipped in to bed and snuggled up to her, his hand sliding inside her nightdress.

She moved his hand away. "Go to sleep, it's late."

"Anzu?!" He suddenly muttered. "If Atem is my brother, what will I tell my parents?" He started waffling as he attempted to voice his concerns to her and his fears caught her by surprise

She turned over and peered into his alcohol glazed eyes. "Why don't you wait until you know for definite that he is first?" She stroked the strands of golden streaked hair away from his face. How he put up with it always hanging across his face like that, she would never know.

There was a moment of silence before he spoke. "We're doing a DNA test and... I think it will confirm that he really _is_ my brother but I don't know how we will all deal with that."

Anzu did not really know what to say. She was tired and he looked like he was losing the battle to stay awake as well. She kissed him gently.

"I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think! Maybe we should talk about it properly tomorrow when we're not tired and you are sober. Whatever happens, I will be there to support you, okay?"

"Thanks..." he mumbled. "I love you."

"I love you too."

They snuggled down together, and it was not long before he was asleep, snoring with his face against her neck and with his arm draped over her.

His arm felt heavy so she gently lifted his arm off and nudged him over to his side of the bed so that she could sleep.

He was probably going to wake up like a bear with a sore head tomorrow.

::::::::::::

It was nine fifteen in the morning, and after only four hours of sleep, Seto Kaiba was in no mood for slackers. "Where's Sennen?" He demanded of Mai.

Mai peered over her coffee mug before placing it down. "I thought he was already here," she casually answered. "He's probably gone to get coffee."

Seto snorted derisively. "I want everyone working on the investigation to assemble in the meeting room in thirty minutes. It's imperative we find out Bakura's whereabouts. Pegasus is demanding we hand the case over to MI5 but I have convinced the commissioner that we are capable of handling it! I have informed Pegasus that I want Atem on our team so that the departments can at least co-operate. He says he will consider it."

"You should let me handle Pegasus, charm works better on him than your more direct approach. You should learn how to flirt!"

"He's not my type," Seto bit back, but with a hint of humour to his voice.

"But you might be his!" She teased. "You should use that to your advantage."

"Hmph! If I decide to flirt, he is the last person I would choose to flirt with." From the smirk on his face, Mai could see that he was trying not to laugh – Seto Kaiba seldom laughed, unless it was _at_ someone. Mai shook her head and chuckled.

"Any news on Marik Ishtar?" She asked.

"Doctors tell me they intend to wake him up early this afternoon. I'm hoping he will give us more information on Bakura."

"I wouldn't bank on it!"

Seto just shrugged. "I plan to give him no choice."

"Sir?! Ma'am?!" A colleague appeared in the doorway. "We just had a call from the hospital!"

"Is Ishtar awake?" Kaiba straightened.

"No Sir! They found the body of a doctor, stuffed into the toilet cubicle of the doctors rest room. His neck had been broken!"

"Have you spoken to the two officers guarding Ishtar?"

"Not yet Sir! I came to tell you as soon as I received the call."

"It has to be Bakura!" Mai concluded. "Who else could it be?"

"We don't know if he is responsible for sure, but you are probably right." Seto turned back to the officer. "Get the hospital security camera footage. The man is dangerous and we need to find him before he kills anyone else!"

"Yes Sir." The officer immediately left to carry out the order.

Seto turned back to Mai. "Find Sennen. I don't care what his excuse is for laying in bed this morning, I want him here. Meanwhile, I am going to call Pegasus!"

"Don't forget to flirt..." Mai teased, ducking to avoid the notepad that was hurled at her as she left Seto's office.

::::::::::::

Atem had set his alarm for seven thirty but when it went off he ignored it and went back to sleep. He felt tired, his ribs hurt, his head ached and he felt sick – it really had not been a good idea to drink on top of the pain killers he had been given at the hospital.

But his discomfort was worth it. Meeting with Yugi had given him something to hold on to. Their hair was so unique and they looked so alike that he felt certain they were related. And the sooner they took the DNA test, the sooner he would know if he had found his real family.

His phone rang and the sound made his head thud. Groaning, he reached over and grabbed it from the night stand. He noticed that it was Mai. "Hello," he grumbled, his voice dry and rasping.

"Atem! Are you okay? You sound like shit!"

"Thanks, I feel like shit!"

"Kaiba wants you in! Do you think you can make it?"

"Why? It's not like I can do much until Ishtar is questioned. Has Bagdonas talked?"

"He's just a bit player. Abdul has been been found dead! We are pretty certain that Marik is responsible. I don't want to discuss it over the phone, but we also have a new development regarding Bakura. Get here as quickly as you can."

"Okay." Atem hung up and staggered out of bed. Feeling dizzy, he nearly fell over but made it to the bathroom before he threw up. A cool shower, followed by a mug of strong coffee and some toast, helped to wake him up and he was soon dressed and ready to leave.

::::::::::::

Unsurprisingly, Anzu woke up before Yugi. She peered over at him sleeping. He was breathing noisily and she wondered how on earth either of them had slept through the din! He was not usually a snorer; it must be the rich food and alcohol making him snore.

Deciding not to wake him yet, she slipped out of bed and went into the bathroom.

When she came back out, he was still asleep so she put on her dressing gown and slippers and went downstairs.

The Felthams were in the kitchen having breakfast. "Good morning," she smiled. "I hope Yugi didn't wake you when he came in?"

"He was as quiet as a rock and roll band," Patrick joked. The children giggled.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Anzu gasped.

"He's pulling your leg," Christina tutted at her husband. "We didn't hear him. How was his evening?"

"We didn't talk much when he got in because it was late and we were tired, but it sounded like he enjoyed himself. Is it okay if I take some tea up to our room?"

"Of course! Help yourself," Christina said. "I was surprised when Patrick told me that Yugi said he was meeting a relative. I had no idea he had family here."

"Neither did he! We only found out the other day! They had never met before." Anzu put some more water on to boil. "Does anyone else want more tea?" Only Patrick did.

"If you want to take the day off to spend some time with Yugi, that is fine," Christina told her. "You really don't need to practice much more and I would rather you take some rest before opening night."

With just a couple of days to go, Anzu was grateful to have some time to spend with Yugi. Although, she doubted he would be the best company when he woke up!

She poured the tea and thanked Christina, before carrying two mugs upstairs.

Pushing the door open, she quietly placed one of the mugs of tea on the night stand next to Yugi. He mumbled and wriggled around before opening his eyes.

"Good morning sleepy. I brought you some tea."

"Hmmble," he muttered incoherently, moving his hands to his forehead and groaning. "My head.."

"That will teach you for drinking," Anzu giggled. She went round to her side of the bed and took off her dressing gown before sliding in beside him with her mug of tea. "Christina said I can take the day off from rehearsals. Looks like I'm going to be spending it looking after my poor, hungover husband!"

Yugi gingerly pushed himself up to a sitting position and leaned back against the headboard. "I will be fine once I get rid of this headache." He reached out and picked up the glass of water that was next to the bed and gulped it down. "Boy, am I thirsty!" He got up and staggered to the bathroom.

Several minutes later, he returned with the glass refilled. He got back into bed and picked up his tea. It was like nectar. "I just took a couple of paracetamol. Hopefully that will do the trick," he told her.

"If you are not feeling too delicate, would you like to talk? Only you seemed a bit worried last night. You did get on together okay, I hope?!"

"I'm not _that_ delicate! And we got on well. It was weird but I felt like I had known him all my life! What I said to you last night - I think it was the drink making me act a bit weird. I was a bit of a pain, wasn't I?" His face flushed.

"You weren't that bad," she smirked. "But you did get a bit horny, and then you became all philosophical. After that, you were snoring your head off!"

"Oh! Sorry about that," he cringed slightly and scratched the back of his head.

"So, did you say anything to him about your brother?"

"No, I decided not to tell him I had a brother who died, just yet. I don't want to say too much until I know if we really are brothers. But I did find out that he was adopted as a baby, so it is very likely that we are."

"That's sad. I can't imagine how it must feel to not know who your real parents are."

Yugi nodded carefully, so as to avoid his sore head. "It's even worse not telling him what really happened to him when he was a baby."

Anzu reached across to hold his hand.

::::::::::::

Footage from the hospital security had picked up Bakura entering and leaving the building. They had also been able to track him on CCTV from nearby cameras located in the street. However, they had lost him when he turned into a side street, and after that, they could not work out where he might have gone.

"He can't be far!" Seto barked. "I want a detailed diagram drawn up of all the possible places he could be, within a ten mile radius..."

Pegasus interrupted him. "If what Interpol tells me about him is true, then I would not put it past him to be stalking us and watching our movements."

"In that case, I want all nearby buildings checked." Seto ordered.

"I will get officers on it immediately," Mai answered.

"Please advise your officers to use extreme caution," Pegasus added. "He is very unpredictable and I don't want him approached unless an arrest can be made without endangering anyone." He turned to Atem. "If we locate his whereabouts, I want you to arrange surveillance until we can safely apprehend him."

Atem nodded.

"Good! Now I suggest you all get to work! Chop, chop!" Pegasus stood up, clapping his hands together.

Seto glared at him. "I should remind you that since this is my department, I give the orders."

"Oh! Kaiba boy. Let us not allow our egos to influence our judgement!"

Atem smirked and tried not to laugh at the comment.

::::::::::::

Of course, Bakura was not nearby. He was one step ahead of them and planned to play with them a little, before carrying out his plan.

His ultimate target was Atem. The man had tricked him. Bakura had no reservations about buying weapons from him because the Sennen name was trusted. But The Pharaoh - as Atem liked to be known – had been working for MI5 all along! Bakura wondered if Atem's father knew that his son was a traitor!

It also appeared that Atem had been working with the police on the drugs investigation, and Marik had unwittingly stumbled into their trap. Because of Atem, Marik was now in hospital, under the watch of armed guards.

The Pharaoh was going to pay for his deception.

A security system that could keep Bakura out had yet to be designed, and he took pride in his skills. It had been easy enough to discover Atem's home address and Bakura had waited until Atem went out and then made his move. Atem would be rattled when he returned to find that his home had been broken into by Bakura.

The Yale lock offered little resistance to being picked. Once inside, the alarm took Bakura about ten seconds to disable. The manufacturers really should make their equipment more challenging – it was too easy!

After a quick look around the apartment to check it was clear, he went into the kitchen and opened up a couple of cupboard doors until he found what he was after.

Pouring himself a single malt whiskey, he gulped it down. The Pharaoh had good taste so he poured himself another. He made sure to leave the bottle and glass on the dining table, where Atem would see it.

Rooting around in the kitchen drawers for something to write on so that he could leave a 'thank you for the scotch' message, next to the bottle, he struck gold.

In the first drawer he opened, he found a note pad with the names Yugi Mutou and Anzu Mutou written on it, along with an address in Wimbledon. There was a phone number too.

He also found a leaflet advertising a ballet performance of Swan Lake, at The Royal Opera House, in which Anzu Mutou would be starring. There was a ticket for the opening night this coming Saturday. Smirking, he pocketed the piece of note paper and the leaflet.

He wondered if they were friends of The Pharaoh. Yugi was obviously related to the girl in the ballet because they shared the same family name.

Sitting down on Atem's comfortable leather sofa, he googled Yugi Mutou. It appeared that he was married to the girl and was world champion at some game called Duel Monsters.

But what struck Bakura was Mutou's likeness to Sennen. He had no idea of their histories, but assumed the two must be related. The young couple were obviously very important to him.

Smirking, he decided to get at Atem through them.

Getting up, he left the apartment.

::::::::::::

Not wanting to let Anzu down, Yugi eventually made the effort to get out of bed. His head was still pounding and his stomach felt acidic.

After having some lunch, he did start to feel a little better, and when Anzu suggested they went for an afternoon walk in Wimbledon Park, he was quite keen on the idea. Some fresh air would certainly help his hangover.

They were unaware that they were being followed.

Wimbledon Common was quite busy. It was a nice afternoon and there were lots of dog walkers and when school finished for the day, a group of children turned up to play football. The athletics track and tennis courts were also busy with youngsters attending after school training sessions.

Yugi and Anzu strolled down to the lake hand in hand. It was now four thirty in the afternoon and had clouded over, making it feel chilly, so they went into the cafeteria and bought a pot of tea for two. They paid no attention to the lone, blond haired, tanned man that came in and sat down on the next table.

"Nice afternoon, isn't it?" Bakura said, making polite conversation.

"Yes, it is. Little bit chilly now though. We should have worn thicker coats!" Anzu smiled back at him.

"Do you live round here? Only I haven't seen you in the park before. I'm Ryou by the way."

"Nice to meet you Ryou." Yugi answered. "I'm Yugi, and this is my wife, Anzu,"

Anzu nodded her head politely. "Ryou is a Japanese name! I don't wish to be rude, but you don't look Japanese!"

Bakura laughed. "My Father was albino! I inherited the hair and lavender eyes. You are both from Japan, I take it?"

"Yes, we are. Anzu recently started working in London," Yugi told him.

"What do you do? If you don't mind me asking?"

"Not at all! I'm a ballerina. I am performing Swan Lake with the Royal Ballet."

"She's Prima Ballerina," Yugi grinned, proudly putting his arm around her shoulders.

Feigning interest, Bakura grinned. "Wow! I love Ballet. I will endeavour to purchase tickets to see you dance!"

"You must hurry, tickets for the first few nights have already sold out! If you know where to go, you an still get them, but they might be expensive," Anzu told him. "If you have trouble, I would be happy to pull some strings and get hold of one for you. I will be at the Opera House tomorrow afternoon. Just come in and ask for me: Anzu Mutou. I will tell them you are coming."

"Would you?! That is so kind of you. Thank you."

"It's no trouble. It is nice to meet someone who appreciates ballet."

They finished drinking their tea and said goodbye to _Ryou_.

"What way are you going home?" Bakura asked. "I'm heading towards Southfields station." He already knew they would be walking in the same direction.

"Oh! We live fairly close to the station. Do you want to walk some of the way with us?" Anzu felt at ease with Ryou's easy going, relaxed manner. He seemed like the perfect English gentleman!

"Thank you." Bakura decided not to harm them just yet. He had gained their trust, and when the time was right, he would strike.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed.**

 **Please review.**


	8. Chapter 8

Hope you all had a good week. Here is the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

* * *

Dance With The Devil

Chapter 7.

After saying goodbye to Ryou, Yugi and Anzu went back to the house.

"Ryou seemed very nice," Anzu smiled cheerily.

"Yes, he did," Yugi agreed. "But can you really get him a ticket if the show is sold out?! It's not like he's family – we don't even know him!"

Anzu grinned sheepishly. "I was a bit too forthcoming, wasn't I? I will speak to Christina but I'm sure it will be okay. They often don't need all the tickets that are held back, so they offer them to the Strand Hotel for their guests to buy. They probably won't mind putting one aside for Ryou. It's not like he isn't going to be paying for it!"

"Well, if you're sure it's okay?"

"I am sure it will be."

Yugi nodded and checked the time. He was starting to worry. Atem had said he would arrange the DNA test and had promised to ring him to confirm when they could do it, but a whole day had gone by and Yugi had heard nothing. Anzu caught him frowning.

"Is something wrong?"

"I don't know... Atem hasn't been in touch like he said he would."

Anzu shared his concern and suggested that Yugi should try and ring him. Yugi dialled the number on the card that Atem had given him but there was no answer, so he left a message.

As he and Anzu ate their evening meal with the Felthams, Yugi anxiously waited for Atem to respond, but his phone did not ring.

Feeling tired and dejected, he showered and decided to go to bed early. Anzu sat and read her book while he tried to get to sleep.

When Anzu went to turn the light off at nine forty five, Yugi was still awake, worrying. "He still hasn't called," he sighed. "I guess I should turn my phone off now."

Sensing the disappointment in his voice, Anzu tried to come up with a reason as to why he had not called. "Maybe he has been busy at work! Or his phone might be out of order... or something!" Her suggested reasons did not sound convincing.

"Maybe," Yugi grunted.

Feeling tired and a bit down, he turned his phone off and placed it, none to gently, on the nightstand. He kissed Anzu on the cheek and snuggled down, only to start fidgeting because his bladder was full. Sighing, he got out of bed and went to the bathroom. He just could not understand why Atem would have made a promise, only to go back on it.

::::::::::::

It had been a long and exhausting day for Atem. Marik had not given them anything they did not already know and it was getting frustrating. When questioned, he gave either a sarcastic response or a cryptic one.

"He came to the hospital last night," Mai told him. "He murdered an innocent member off staff and disguised himself as a doctor, just so that he could see you! Does it worry you that he would kill, in order to have a few minutes with you?!"

"Why would I worry?! ... In fact, I am flattered."

"Do you have any sense of remorse for the people you and your lover kill?" Marik didn't respond, but she did notice his facial muscles twitching, and just for a second, he looked sad – maybe she was getting somewhere. "What is he planning to do while he is in London, Marik?" She said, gently.

The way she spoke, reminded him of his sister, Ishizu, and it almost caught him off-guard, but he quickly dismissed it and his guard was back up in an instant. "Go sightseeing!" He snapped. "How the fucking hell should I know?! He should forget about me and get away while he still has the chance!" He gave a rather nasty, rasping chuckle and then grimaced when it caused his shoulder to hurt.

"Do you want me to fetch a nurse?" Mai asked, conscious about ensuring she did not give him any opportunity to claim police brutality and start demanding his human rights!

"You should know that I love pain..." he hissed.

Mai had to step outside the room. Atem followed her. "You alright?"

"Arghhh...!" She erupted. "He's not right in the head! Has he no sense of guilt, or conscience?!"

"I would have thought you would be used to psychopaths like Marik and Bakura by now!"

"Usually I am! But we get to deal with the dregs of society and sometimes it just gets to me, you know?! We catch em, we lock em up and then another psycho surfaces and we go through the process all over again!"

He tilted her chin up so that he could see into her eyes. He winked and kissed her. "Don't let it grind you down, okay?"

"I will try not to... I'm just tired. I work too hard. I can't even remember the last time I had a holiday! I didn't even get Christmas off!"

"You hate Christmas!"

"That's not the point! I could have slept through it." She noticed the way he raised a questioning brow. "What else would I do? Visit my pathetic mother and her latest Toy Boy?!"

"Yeah, I can see your point," he shrugged.

"Come on, let's go back to the office. We're not going to get anything else out of that moron."

Atem agreed and followed her out. Talking to Marik had been a waste of time.

::::::::::::

By the time he left for home, Atem was in a bad mood and was looking forward to getting a good night sleep – if his sore ribs allowed it.

And then there was his promise to sort out the DNA test and ring Yugi. Having been kept busy all day, he had not had time to go over to the Forensic Laboratory to ask the favour.

Checking his phone, he saw that Yugi had tried to ring him, but he had not heard it ring because his phone had been on silent. He owed Yugi an apology.

Pocketing his phone again, he unlocked his front door. As soon as he was inside, he would ring Yugi and apologise.

Stepping into his hallway, he frowned. He was sure he had set his burglar alarm when he went out this morning, but it was flashing to say it had been disarmed.

With his senses on high alert, he walked through to his open plan living area and immediately spotted the whiskey bottle and tumbler on the table. Someone had been here! He carefully walked over to the bottle and picked up the note that had been left next to it, He gasped when he saw who had written it.

Alarm bells rang in his mind and he started to become nervous.

What if Bakura was still here, hiding somewhere? And he did not have a firearm on him!

He rushed to the block of kitchen knives and grabbed the large chopping knife.

His flat consisted of an entrance hall with a walk in storage cupboard. The hallway lead into into a spacious lounge area on one side of the room and a kitchen/dining area on the other side, that opened out onto a balcony. There was no sign of Bakura hiding in these areas.

There was just the guest bedroom, shower room and toilet, the master bedroom and en-suite bathroom to go.

Kicking open the door to his bedroom, Atem hurriedly searched the room and was relieved to find it empty. It appeared that nothing had been stolen either.

Satisfied that he was alone in the flat, he did a quick search of all the places people usually hid bugging devices. He did not expect to find anything; he doubted that was Bakura's style, but it was best to check. The flat appeared to be clean.

Relaxing a little, he went back to the kitchen and took his phone from his jacket pocket.

He dialled Mai first. If Bakura knew his address then he probably knew where to find everyone else on the investigative team too. Kaiba could handle himself, but he doubted that Mai would be a match for Bakura.

Thankfully, Mai was safe and sound and there had been no sign of a break-in at her house. But she was concerned for Atem. "You can't stay there, what if he comes back?!"

Atem was far more concerned about leaving Mai on her own than he was about himself. Bakura was not stupid, he would be aware that Atem would be ready and waiting for him if he did return. Atem suspected that he might switch his attention to one of the other members of the team that were hunting him. Kaiba was an expert at Karate and could take care of himself, but Mai would be more vulnerable. "I don't want to leave you on your own. I will pack an overnight bag and be over in half an hour. In the meantime, lock your windows and doors."

"Okay, will do. See you in a while... And Atem? Please take care."

"Don't worry, I will be fine."

They ended the call and Atem hurriedly threw some clean clothes, toiletries and his shaving kit into a holdall.

His mind turned back to Yugi.

Picking up his bag, he carried it to the entrance hall and placed it down before going to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. He drank it down and then scrolled through his phone until he found Yugi's number.

When he tried to ring Yugi, it went straight to voicemail. Either there was no signal or he had turned his phone off and gone to bed. He pondered whether he should try Anzu's number and decided he should.

::::::::::::

When he got back into bed, Anzu had turned the light back on and was sitting, playing with her phone.

"I still can't understand why he didn't call me," Yugi said, despondently.

"Maybe it is just his nature Yugi. He left me sitting in a bar, and then charmed his way back in with a convincing excuse, remember! "

"But I didn't get the impression he was like that! He seemed a really genuine sort of guy. Something bad must have happened."

"Well, I doubt it's anything serious. I'm sure he will call you tomorrow, so stop worrying." She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Yeah, you're right." He snuggled down again. "But still..." he mumbled sulkily. "He could have at least texted me or something."

Anzu decided to change the subject. "Shizuka messaged me while you were in the bathroom. I'm just replying. Do you have a message for her or Jonouchi?"

"Nah... Just say hi! They don't know about Atem, so don't say anything."

"No, of course I won't!" She sent a message.

A few moments later, her phone pinged with another message.

She was about to respond when her phone vibrated and Atem's name flashed up on her screen.

"Yugi?! It's him! He's ringing."

Yugi sat up quickly, with a relieved expression. "Quick! Answer it!"

"I am... Hey, Atem," she said cheerily. "No, we're not asleep yet. I'll pass you over." She handed Yugi her phone.

"Hey! Yugi... I'm really sorry for ringing so late."

Yugi wanted to be angry with him, but felt nothing but relief that he had called. "Don't worry, we were still awake anyway. We were just discussing why you hadn't called..."

"And you thought I was unreliable..." Atem interjected.

"No!" Yugi said, defensively. "I thought something might have happened to change your mind about finding out if we're related."

There was a hesitant pause and Yugi heard him let out a thoughtful sigh. "No Yugi, nothing will change my mind. I have just had a very busy day at work, and then got home late to find that someone had broken in to my flat."

"What?! That's terrible! Did they take much?"

"No," Atem snorted. "But they drank some of my single malt!"

"That's a bit weird!"

Atem laughed but it sounded false. "It is. But I'm afraid the person who broke in is not normal!"

"You know who it is?!"

Atem swallowed. "Yes, I do." He hesitated, unsure of how much to disclose. He did not wish to involve Yugi and Anzu in this and wondered if it might be a sensible idea to avoid them until Bakura was apprehended. "It is a disgruntled client. He was not happy that his investment didn't do well."

"It's a bit extreme to break in like that though! I hope the police catch him."

"So do I... Anyway, I rang to explain... that thanks to my day being stressful, I wasn't able to speak to my friend about doing the DNA test."

"That's okay, I'm sure one more day won't hurt." Yugi hid his disappointment well and Atem felt guilty for not telling the full truth.

"When do you think we can do it?" Yugi asked.

"I don't know. I might have to stay away from you for a few days – until this person is caught. Like I said, he's a bit of a psycho."

"But you are still coming to Anzu's opening night?!" Yugi fretted.

The ballet! Atem had forgotten about that. There was absolutely no way he wanted to let them down. "Of course I am!" His eyes were drawn to the drawer in which he had placed his ticket. His chin dropped when he noticed that it had been wedged open by a piece of rolled up note paper. Why hadn't he seen that earlier?! He went to the drawer, removed the paper and unrolled it. On it were the words - **I see you like ballet, as well as whiskey... Pharaoh.**

Atem gasped; the page with Yugi and Anzu's phone numbers and the address in Wimbledon, had been torn out.

Yugi heard him gasp. "Is everything okay?"

"Y.. Yes.. actually... no! I think you might be in danger!"

::::::::::::

Checking her doors and windows were bolted, Mai set her alarm. She did not usually spook easily, but from what they had discovered about Bakura during their investigation, she had reason to be afraid. The man was as slippery as an eel, and could apparently break into any building without being detected and then disappear again without a trace. He would kill without mercy or hesitation and use and abuse people in order to achieve his ambitions.

Satisfied that she was secure, she dialled Seto kaiba's number.

Seto Kaiba cursed. "I will arrange for extra police patrols in both areas. Sooner or later, the rat will become too bold. The moment he does, we will get him."

"I hope so," Mai breathed. She shivered, not from the cold but from nerves. It had already been thirty minutes since Atem called her and she hoped that he would hurry up and get here soon.

::::::::::::

Sensing that he might have stirred the hornets nest up enough for now, Bakura decided to pull one of his vanishing acts.

After his little stunt last night, the hospital was virtually on lock down, making it too risky, even for him, to go back there. Atem would have discovered the break-in at his flat by now and half the police force would probably be out looking for him.

He also wondered how long it would be before Atem discovered that Bakura had been drinking tea in Wimbledon Park, with his little friends.

Feeling accomplished, for now, he hired a small car and left London for the coast. With no particular destination in mind, he ended up on Canvey Island. It was a rather flat, dreary looking piece of reclaimed land in the Thames Estuary, that in Victorian times, been a popular seaside resort. But since being devastated by floods in 1953 it's popularity had waned. It's coast was now protected by sea defences, and at this time of year the place was quiet.

At first, Bakura thought he might find bed and breakfast accommodation for the night, but then he spotted a boarded up amusement arcade close to the beach. It was secluded and looked fairly dilapidated. There was a for sale board pinned to the side of the building and he wondered who on earth would want to buy such a dump?

Parking the car out of sight, behind the building, he decided that this would make a perfect hideout.

He carried his bag full of basic essentials from the boot and easily picked the lock on the door. He found a room that was draught free and curled up in his sleeping bag for some well needed rest.

As he slept, he dreamed about Atem finding the messages he had left. He then saw Atem scream helplessly, as Bakura carefully slit Mai's throat, before ripping Yugi and the pretty little dancing girl to pieces. Atem was flailing about in their blood while that fool Seto Kaiba ran around like a dog chasing its tail, barking orders at them, to get up and stop pretending to be dead.

For most people, these would be nightmares, but to Bakura, they were pleasant dreams.

::::::::::::

With his heart pounding, Atem ran his hand through his hair. He was trying to think quickly but was tired and afraid for his friends. "Whatever you do Yugi, don't let anyone go out without a chaperone. Make sure all the doors and windows are locked. The mad man found my address book and knows where you are staying!"

"Wh... what do you mean? Atem, you're scaring me! Who knows my address? And why would he come after me and Anzu?"

"I will arrange for a police patrol to watch the house. I have to keep you and the family who live there safe. I don't know who he will go after first... you or Mai.."

"Atem! Can you please tell me what is going on?" Yugi pleaded, with an air of desperation.

Sensing the tension and fear in her husband's voice, Anzu gripped his arm nervously. What secrets was Atem hiding from them?

"I'm sorry!" Atem said, a little too forcefully. "I can't tell you the details as it is a police matter. All I can say is that if a man with shaggy blond hair, lavender eyes and tanned skin approaches you, make sure you keep out of his reach and call me or the police immediately."

It was Yugi's turn to gasp. "I think we might have already met him! Is his name Ryou by any chance?"

"Is that the name he gave you?! Shit! Are you okay? Did he try to hurt you?!" Atem's voice was getting tight and had gone up in pitch. Ryou was a known alias that Bakura sometimes used.

"It's okay! He didn't try anything! We're fine," Yugi was quick to try and calm Atem down. "We went for a walk in Wimbledon Park this afternoon. We went into the cafe and he came in and sat at the next table. He introduced himself as Ryou Bakura." Yugi paused for a moment. "He actually seemed very nice."

"Whatever you do Yugi, don't fall for it. It's an act. The guy is a psychotic killer and is not to be trusted. Did he tell you anything about himself? Anything that might help us find him?"

Yugi thought for a moment. "I don't think so." Next to him Anzu was was becoming animated. Yugi looked at her as she poked his shoulder and interrupted...

"Ballet ticket! I offered to get him a ticket. He's coming to see me tomorrow to collect it!"

"Oh! That's right!" Yugi gasped. "He showed an interest in the ballet. Some tickets are held back for the dancers and staff, so Anzu offered to reserve one for him. He said he would call into the Royal Opera House tomorrow to collect it. Do you think he was just kidding?"

"I don't know, he is unpredictable. However, it's worth pursuing. In the meantime, stay safe. Oh! And can you give me your address again? Bakura stole the piece of paper I wrote it on and I can't remember it."

Yugi told him the address. Thanking him, Atem scribbled it down.

"Please do not go out of the house in the morning until I get there. I will be over to escort Anzu to work."

"Atem?" Yugi chewed his lip thoughtfully. "You are not really in finance, are you.. ? Are you a detective?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that - I work with the police but I'm not a policeman, I will explain everything when I see you." Yugi could not wait that long – his interest had been piqued.

"Are you like... a secret agent?!"

Atem snorted in response. "Sort of.. I have been working undercover for months, trying to flush out Bakura and his associate, Marik. The situation has suddenly escalated and I don't want you to get dragged into it."

"Oh! Well, I guess we should be careful then." Yugi was not too sure what to say. The news that his potential brother was some sort of secret agent had still to sink in properly. "See you tomorrow then. Erm... take care."

"Don't worry, I will." Apologising again, for dragging them into all this mess, Atem ended the call.

He took a deep breath and puffed his cheeks out before letting his breath go. That had been a rather awkward conversation. Yugi had not freaked out, he had just sounded... accepting!

Turning off the lights, Atem re-set the alarm system and made his way to the underground garage, where he kept his car.

Eyes nervously scanning the dimly lit car park, he hurried to his car. He heard a car door slam and nearly jumped out of his skin. Hearing the beeping sound of the locking system, he spun round, in time to see the lights of a nearby car flash as the doors locked. It was just a neighbour returning home.

With his heart still thumping, he gave her a friendly wave and unlocked his car, throwing his bag into the boot.

Safely in the drivers seat, he shuddered and nervously leaned over to check the back seat; he had seen too many TV dramas where the killer hid on the back seat. Laughing at himself for his neurotic behaviour, he fastened the seatbelt and drove to Mai's house.

::::::::::::

No one slept very well that night. Yugi thought the news that Atem was a secret agent, kind of awesome. Anzu however, found it scary. They had been approached by a psychopath, masquerading as an extremely nice person, and it left her shaken. "To think, I invited him to my work place and offered to reserve him a ticket! What if he actually shows up?!

"Try not to worry. Atem will be waiting to catch him if he does." Atem was suddenly someone he looked up to.

"I wish I had your confidence Yugi."

"I'm sure it will all turn out okay. Come here." He offered her a cuddle.

"I hope so." In need of comfort, she snuggled up to him and tried to sleep.

::::::::::::

Cursing yet another all-nighter, Atem picked Mai up and they drove back to the office.

A team needed to be assembled, just in case Bakura did show up at the Royal Opera House tomorrow. It needed to be expertly co-ordinated and Seto did not want any screw-ups.

Much to Seto's annoyance Pegasus had insisted on taking control personally, making Seto feel undermined.

"Now, now Kaiba boy! If I let you and your trigger happy cowboys go charging in all gun ho, we might frighten him away."

Seto snarled at the comment. "I will have you know, my team are highly trained experts."

"Yes, but my MI5 agents are used to operating under the radar. I do not want him spooked by police officers standing on every corner. We also have a slight issue in that he knows what you three look like, so you will need to remain behind the scenes."

Atem was disappointed but understood his situation had been compromised. "What about staff at the Royal Opera House? Are we to evacuate them from the premises?"

"That will not be necessary. I would like you and Mai to be responsible for keeping the staff away from the main entrance. We will have plain clothed officers and MI5 agents stationed in the entrance hall. They will replace the kiosk and security staff. They will be ready to arrest him should he appear. We will not give him chance to run."

"Assuming your plan succeeds Pegasus," Seto interjected. "Where will he be taken for questioning? Only he has a history of escaping his captors."

"He will be taken to a high security facility. In the past, he was held by amateurs. He will not escape us," Pegasus answered, with confidence.

It was now nearly three in the morning and everyone was exhausted. Mai was unable to stifle her yawn.

Unwilling to completely give up command, Seto stood up. "You two should go home and get some sleep. You look trashed. Pegasus and I will assemble the agents."

"You need sleep too Kaiba boy, you also look ready to drop! Leave everything to me. I will see you here at nine in the morning."

"I was going to escort Anzu to work tomorrow," Atem told them.

"Given that Bakura knows you, that is not wise," Pegasus answered. "By all means go to the house in the morning to speak to them, but make sure that Bakura is not watching you. I will have an agent follow the dancer to work, discreetly."

"What if he doesn't show?" Seto added, smugly.

"That is a possibility. But it is the only lead we have and we cannot ignore it."

No one had any further questions or problems so they all went home to catch a few valuable hours of sleep.

* * *

 **Will Bakura show up? Find out in the next chapter.**

 **Please review.**


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, fav, and followed.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh

* * *

Dance With The Devil

Chapter 9.

After a cool shower to help wake him up, Atem drove to Wimbledon, while Mai drove to the office to meet up with Seto and Pegasus.

When Atem started to explain the situation, Christina was horrified.

"But what about my dancers?! We have our final rehearsals before opening night!" She complained.

"That should not be a problem. The practice studios are in a different part of the building, so I doubt anyone will even know what is going on. If all goes to plan, Bakura will be arrested as soon as he arrives." Atem replied.

"Yes, but we are not using the studio! We will be using the theatre stage. It is our last opportunity to get the lighting and costume effects just right."

Atem had not known that and had to think for a moment. "I will need to tell my boss, but I still don't think you should worry. All you need to tell your staff is that a security drill is taking place and that they should stay away from the foyer until they are told otherwise."

"Well, if you are sure that we will be safe. I don't want any of my dancers being caught up in any violence."

"Atem knows what he is doing," Anzu reassured her friend and colleague, even though she still had some doubts of her own.

"As long as everyone follows the instructions they are given, they will be safe," Atem reiterated. He turned to Anzu. "Now, I know you said that you had not arranged a specific time for Bakura to come and collect his ticket, but did he give you any indication as to when it might be?"

Anzu shook her head. "I told him I would be there from about twelve thirty onward. He seemed very keen though."

"So you think he _will_ show?" Atem asked firmly. Anzu hesitated, a little unsure. It was Yugi, who had been quiet up until now, who spoke.

"He seemed a pretty normal guy. He spoke with perfect English... although, now I think about it, it was too perfect. I haven't noticed anyone here actually speak that clearly. He sounded like someone who wasn't English, pretending to be.. if that makes sense."

"Yes, it does." Anzu nodded. "Now you mention it, I noticed it too. He was almost too nice."

"From my impression of him," Yugi continued, "he sounded like he genuinely wanted a ticket, but it is possible that he was just saying that. I would say it is fifty fifty that he turns up."

Looking perplexed, Atem nodded. "We just have to hope that he does. This guy has been on the wanted list for months. The sooner he is apprehended, the sooner we can all sleep safely."

::::::::::::

After a fairly good sleep, Bakura woke up at six fifteen feeling refreshed. However, his squat was none too warm and there was no running water to wash. Using a water bottle, he brushed his teeth the best he could.

Tidying up his sleeping bag, he went out to his hire car.

He always liked to begin the day with a swim. Picking up his phone, he searched for local swimming pools that had early swim sessions. Finding what he was looking for, he made his way to the nearest one. He told them that he was new to the area and was a keen swimmer looking to join a club.

Always keen to have new members they allowed him in. He paid his entrance fee and joined in the seven o'clock session with the local swim club.

The coaches were very impressed with his ability and he was placed in the lane with the fast swimmers. He was having a far more enjoyable morning than the team of officers who were looking for him in London!

After his swim, he told them he would be back again next week and left to find somewhere to have his breakfast. He found a cafe that was used by lorry drivers and sat down to a full English breakfast of egg, bacon, baked beans, mushroom, sausage, tomato and fried bread.

As soon as he had finished eating, he decided to go and get a hair cut. They would be looking for a man with long, wild hair and he was looking to throw them off a little by adopting a new hair style.

With his hair now shaped around the ears and clipped at the back, but left longer on top, he left the barber shop. He did not really like his hair this short, but it did make him almost unrecognisable, and besides, it would grow back.

He jumped into his car and headed back to London. Maybe he would pay that little dancer a visit and get his ticket, but then again, maybe he wouldn't. He would make up his mind when he got there.

::::::::::::

Apart from the usual armed police officers that held a presence around tourist attractions in London, there appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary. However, the armed officers on duty that day had briefed and were being extra vigilant. Inside the Opera House, the usual floor staff and receptionists had been replaced by three of Seto Kaiba's non-uniform detectives and four of Pegasus' agents. Everyone was on high alert.

While the dancers were rehearsing, Mai took up position in the dress circle. From her vantage point she could see the whole of the auditorium. If anyone came in, she would spot them. She was wearing a wire and in constant contact with the rest of the team.

Watching the dancers rehearse made her reflect on her own childhood:

As a child, Mai had loved to dance. However, her parents had screwed all that up for her by being too forceful – especially her mother! Mai had eventually got bored and refused to go to practice, just to spite them.

Now was not the time for regret though, she had made her choices and had to live by them. Sometimes, she was required to stay up all night on an investigation and she often had to deal with horrible, heart breaking crimes. In those low moments she hated the job. But when they caught a criminal and he or she was sent to prison, Mai felt a sense of pride that she was keeping the public safe so that they could enjoy things like ballet. Most of the time, the public had absolutely no idea about the terrible things that happened, right under their noses!

Taking a big sigh, she shifted her position and scanned every corner of the auditorium for any potential weak points and concluded that the building was like a sieve. There were rooms and corridors that were like a rabbit warren and so any windows and doors that she lost count.

Apart from the odd dirty joke or silly bit of banter, the earpiece she was wearing was pretty quiet and Mai was beginning to wonder if Bakura would actually show up.

She pushed the button on her radio and checked in with her colleagues to see if there were any sightings of Bakura yet – there was not.

::::::::::::

Atem was focusing on the many fire exits and the stage door. For someone like Bakura, these areas would make for easy access.

He and Yugi went into the office where a surveillance officer from MI5 was monitoring the various cameras linked to the Opera house and the grounds. "Seen anything Andy?" He asked his fellow agent.

Andy shrugged. "Just a rough sleeper looking for somewhere to drink his cheap vodka. The police moved him on."

Atem huffed. "Keep a good watch on the cameras monitoring the rear of the building and quieter areas. It's mid afternoon so if he's going to show up, I would imagine it might be soon. I don't expect him to walk right into a trap. He will probably look around first, to make sure it is clear."

"I could use a break if you wouldn't mind sitting in for ten minutes?" Andy asked.

"Sure! No problem." Atem agreed. He and Yugi sat down. Yugi was intrigued by the small screens, all showing different areas of the premises.

"Are these live feeds?" Yugi asked.

"Yes, live cameras. You can choose one – like this one – and pan it around to look at different parts of the street if you suspect something is off," Atem answered.

"Then what's wrong with that one?" Yugi pointed to a camera that was fixed on a wall. "Shouldn't it be looking at the street or a doorway or something?"

"According to the screen, it should be looking at the junction of James and Floral Street," Atem answered.

"I wonder how long has it been looking at the wall?" Yugi questioned.

"I don't know but I'm a bit concerned." Atem pressed the control to remotely operate the camera but it stayed fixed on the wall.

"Shit!" Atem grabbed his radio and called Kaiba. "Get some people to check the area around Floral Street where it meets James Street? We have a camera malfunction."

"I'm on it," kaiba responded.

"Stay here," Atem ordered Yugi. "It is possible that he is already in the building."

"What?! You expect me to stay in here?! Anzu is out there, I'm going to find her," Yugi glared at Atem.

Atem recognised the determined look on Yugi's face as if it were his own. He knew there was no point in trying to argue or reason with him. He was stubborn, would not back down and would defend those he cared about with his life. "Okay, but no heroics. You must do as I say."

Hearing that there might be a security breach, Mai Ran down the narrow staircase and hurried into the auditorium, to check with Christina and the stage manager that everyone was accounted for.

Atem ordered all of the dancers and staff to stay in the main area of the theatre. No one was to leave. Yugi was told to stay with them.

Anzu ran to him. "Yugi! What's going on?"

Relived she was safe, he cuddled her. "We think Bakura's in the building. Mai and Atem are making sure everyone is accounted for."

Christina approached them. "There are a few people backstage, shall I get them?"

"No!" Atem ordered. "Stay here. Myself and Mai will find them."

Pulling their guns, the pair ran backstage to check the warren of dressing rooms. They ushered the costumers to join the dancers in the main stalls. Further along the corridor, they checked the office next door to the security room – it was clear.

Climbing the stairs, they found Andy on the floor outside the toilets – his neck had been broken.

"Fuck!" Atem hissed. "He got Andy," he hissed into his radio. "His neck is broken."

"Shit!" Seto Kaiba was not prepared to sit in the building opposite and do nothing. He had sent someone to check the malfunctioning camera and received the news that the bolts retaining the CCTV camera had been cut, allowing the camera to to be twisted round to face the wall. How the hell had Bakura managed to do that?! He must have got onto the roof somehow.

He leaped up and ran down the stairs and across the road and into the Opera House.

::::::::::::

It was early in the afternoon when Bakura checked into the Savoy Hotel under a false name. Asking at the box office located inside the Hotel if they had any tickets for the ballet tomorrow night, they confirmed that they did. Thanking the young woman, he purchased two.

He did not wish to push his luck by meeting with the dancing girl again. He was also highly suspicious and was not prepared to risk entering the Opera House by the front entrance because there were too may people about.

Close to the rear of the Opera house, was a building being renovated. It was surrounded by scaffolding and in the street was a large skip full of rubble and a transit van with the contractors name on the side.

It had been easy to obtain a hard hat and yellow jacket. Disguised as a workman, Bakura entered the building site, using the van and skip as cover.

He was spotted by the foreman and told to pull his finger out of his arse and do some work.

Grumbling to himself, he picked up a wheelbarrow full of rubble and pretended to work.

As soon as they were not watching, Bakura slipped away and climbed up the scaffolding.

From the ground, he had noticed that the scaffolding stuck out far enough that he should be able to jump across to the roof the building that adjoined the Opera House.

Making his way to that part of the scaffolding, he prepared to jump the six foot gap.

Any normal human would have been terrified by what he was doing but Bakura was fearless and without hesitating, made the jump.

Once on the roof, he scurried along to where there was a drainpipe.

Testing it was secure enough to hold his weight, he shimmied down the drainpipe until he reached the CCTV camera that was bolted to the wall. He pulled out some pliers and loosened the bolts that were securing the camera that was monitoring the portion of the building where he intended to enter. He turned it so that it faced the wall.

Someone always left a window open and he smirked when he spotted one that was open just a crack.

Dropping down onto the window ledge, he tested it. The person who had opened it had put it on the security latch, but for someone like Bakura it offered little challenge. He levered it open as if he was popping open the tab on a fizzy drinks can and slipped inside the building. This was too easy.

He landed in a wash basin in the ladies lavatories. Pausing for a moment to assess his surroundings, he jumped down with the grace of a cat and listened.

There were two female voices in the vanity area, giggling and chatting. Thankfully, there was no one in the area where the toilet cubicles were. He suddenly heard one of the girls coming so he ducked inside a cubicle.

"Hurry up Amy, we need to be on stage in a minute!" The girl still in the vanity area called.

"I am hurrying! I have to take the whole outfit off so I can get me knickers down!" She cursed quietly to herself and Bakura had to stifle a snicker at the sound of her peeing. Lewd images crossed his mind and he had to remind himself he was a criminal mastermind, on a serious mission to piss off Atem and make the police look like idiots.

His actual plan – if he could pull it off – was to kidnap the little dancer. But if his mission failed today, he would still be able to memorise the layout of the building and all of his possible escape routes, for when another opportunity to kidnap her arose.

The two girls left and he waited for a minute before followed them out.

"Who are you?!" A gruff male voice growled. "What were you doing in there?"

Bakura turned to see a wiry looking man with greying hair emerge from the gents at the same time he emerged from the ladies. It was Andy.

Luckily, Bakura was still wearing the stolen contractors jacket. "I'm just checking a couple of broken light bulbs," he told him, casually. "I need to go to the store room to get the right size."

"You will have to come with me. I wasn't told there would be any contractors working in here. I need to check you have clearance." Andy was suspicious of the man. His hair was blonde but much shorter than he had been told to expect and his eyes were brown not lavender but he did not want to take the risk. Bakura could be wearing coloured contact lenses and he might have had a hair cut!

"Sure, no problem."

"What's your name?" Andy asked, gesturing for Bakura to move ahead of him.

With lightening reflexes, Bakura spun round taking Andy by surprise. "Bakura..." he hissed as he dispatched the man by breaking his neck.

Leaving Andy where he was, he scurried along the corridor and down some stairs. He could hear music so he must be getting close to the stage.

Right in front of him, a door suddenly opened. _"Shit!"_

The two men were talking, just inside the doorway. He recognised the voice of the man doing most of the talking; it was Atem! Crap, it seemed they had found the broken camera and were onto him.

Pivoting on the balls of his feet, he darted back back up the stairs. Luckily, he had avoided being spotted by Atem and Yugi by just a fraction of a second.

With his heart rate elevated, he ran back along the corridor, jumping over Andy's body. He ran up another flight of stairs until he found an escape route.

He was now in the highest part of the building. In front of him was a door that was mainly used to access the roof for maintenance work but also doubled as a fire exit. He shoved it open and stepped out onto the roof. He ran along the narrow walkway between the galvanised metal fittings until he came to the air conditioning coolers.

Running past them, he came to some steps. Peering over the side, he figured he could climb onto a lower part of the roof and then try and climb down using the guttering and drain pipes. There was only one problem – the street below was swarming with police.

He spotted Seto Kaiba running across the road and into the building.

They probably thought he was still inside somewhere and would be focusing their search there for the time being. But he could not assume they would not check the roof.

Now was the time to put his expertise as an escapologist into action.

* * *

 **Phew! Bakura! You have some nerve!**

 **Please review.**


	10. Chapter 10

Here's the next chapter. It is a little shorter than usual and is a bit of a filler chapter. But hopefully it won't be too boring.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

* * *

Dance With The Devil

Chapter 9.

An exhaustive search of the theatre revealed no sign of Bakura. The open window in the ladies toilets was concluded to be his point of entry, after dirty scuff marks from his boots were found on the window sill and the wash basin.

Atem watched on solemnly as the pathologist removed Andy's body from the scene.

Leaving Atem with the pathologist, Mai went outside to look for clues as to how Bakura got in and out without being spotted, while Seto made his way up the stairs to investigate Bakura's probable escape route.

Drawing his gun, Seto pushed open the fire door and cautiously stepped out onto the roof. He searched for any sign that Bakura might be hiding somewhere, but it appeared that the thief was long gone.

Taking the most obvious route across the various sections of roof, Seto came to the galvanised steel ladder that lead down to where the roof was at its lowest. He climbed down and ran to the end of the roof.

Looking over the edge, he saw Mai and Pegasus standing in the street below.

"I am almost certain that this was his escape route," Seto called down to them.

Startled, they both looked up to where he was standing. Mai immediately spotted a piece of orange material caught on a wall tie that was protruding a couple of inches out of the wall. It was about eight feet from the ground.

"I think you're right! There's some snagged material just below where you are standing Seto?" Seto leaned over and spotted the wall tie, about five feet below him.

"Let me try something! Bearing in mind I am six one and Bakura is around five eight."

Mai gasped as Seto crouched down, gripped the edge of the guttering and swung his long legs over the side, leaving himself dangling by his hands. "Be careful, you idiot!"

Seto let himself go and dropped to the ground, expertly absorbing the impact by bending his knees and rolling. He stood up with a self satisfied smirk. "I used to do gymnastics. I am substantially taller than Bakura, but for anyone who is nimble and athletic, getting down from there would pose no problem."

"So we know how he got down, unfortunately, we don't know where he went afterwards," Pegasus sighed.

"I suggest we send officers in both directions. Investigate any side turnings he might have used to make his escape. Check CCTV, sewers, buildings, underground stations – anywhere he might be hiding. The man is a snake," Seto growled. "He has slithered into a hole somewhere and I want him found!"

"I already have officers investigating," Mai confirmed. "I have also asked for footage from the CCTV cameras." She turned to one of the police officers at the scene. "Please can you bag up that piece of cloth. And whatever you do, don't contaminate it. It is valuable evidence." She was unaware that he was the officer who had allowed Bakura to get away!

"Yes Ma'am." The officer obtained a step ladder from a nearby shop, and not wishing to raise any suspicion towards himself, did exactly as he was asked. The piece of material would only be of any use as evidence in a trial, and the ghoul posing as a policeman did not expect Bakura to be captured.

With the piece of material torn from Bakura's jacket retrieved from the wall tie, Mai, Seto and Pegasus went back into the building to locate Atem.

::::::::::::

Inside the main theatre, Yugi was waiting with Anzu, Christina and the rest of the dancers.

People kept asking Yugi if he knew what was going on. They all wanted to know why armed police officers were swarming into the building?

Yugi told them that he did not know very much but thought it was all part of the exercise that was being carried out by the police and security services. "After the attacks in Europe, they want to make sure that they can react swiftly, should we experience a similar attack!" Yugi stated, quoting what Atem had told him to say, should anyone ask.

The director was pacing angrily. "I was told they would not move beyond the foyer! Why was I not informed they would ransack my theatre?!" He really did not need this the day before opening night.

"Maybe I should go and see if I can find Atem," Yugi offered.

"No! Yugi! He told you to stay here with us!" Anzu grabbed his arm.

A stage hand came running in. "I have just seen them taking out a body! He looked dead! Like, really dead!"

People started to chatter hysterically. Had there been a _real_ murder?! Was this more than just an exercise?!

The director took to the stage and started telling everyone that the police and security experts were conducting an anti terrorist drill but had become a little over zealous. The dead person was probably a very good actor! It did little to calm some of the dancers nerves.

Just at that moment, Atem came back into the auditorium. "What is that idiot doing?" He growled, believing it was the director who had stirred everyone up.

"Someone saw them carrying a body out. I think he is trying to calm everyone down but he seems to be making things worse," Yugi replied.

"Shit! I had better sort this out." Atem hurriedly joined the director on stage.

He started to talk but people kept interrupting him, demanding to know what was happening. Was it true that there had been a murder?!

"If you could all just listen to me?!" He demanded with authority. The microphones around the stage picked up his deep, booming tones and everyone fell silent. "Thank you. Whatever you think you might have seen, I can assure you that what has been happening today is just a security exercise. Following the recent increase in terrorist attacks, both here and in Europe, British Intelligence have highlighted several suspects, who we believe are planning to target events where there are a lot of people gathered. In order to stay one step ahead of these individuals, we are doing everything in our power to ensure people can enjoy their lives as safely as possible."

"Is it true that someone broke into the building and killed a detective?" One of the dancers interrupted.

"I cannot discuss how we conduct exercises," Atem stated firmly. "All I can say is that security surrounding this building has been thoroughly tested."

"So, we are not safe?!" The dancer shrieked.

"You are not in any danger. It is safe for you to get back to your rehearsals."

Ignoring the questions being shouted at him, Atem left the stage and hastily left, using the side door, so that he could avoid being mobbed by anxious dancers.

As he retreated, the auditorium was filled with the hum of gossip concerning what the exercise or threat might have been. Some of the dancers sighed with relief, convinced that it was just an exercise, while others insisted that there had been a real security breach and that MI5 had dealt with it and were now trying to cover it up!

While they were all busy debating, Yugi and Anzu slipped out of the side door and found Atem.

"Did you get him?" Yugi wanted to know.

"No. I'm afraid he got away," Atem replied.

"Did Bakura really attack someone?!" Anzu was starting to feel frightened. All of a sudden, the true nature of the threat seemed real.

"I can't go into detail here, but Bakura is still on the loose. I fear that he was planning to target you, in order to get at me."

"But why would he want to hurt Anzu?!" Yugi gasped, taking her by the hand, protectively.

"He is sadistic and hateful! And from what we know about him, he likes to toy with his victims before killing them. Anzu is the star of a show and also friends with me. By targeting her, he hopes to get a reaction from me."

"Well, I am not scared of him!" Anzu put her hands on her hips, rebelliously.

"But Anzu!" Yugi began to speak, but Anzu was indignant.

"I am not hiding away just because he has a spiteful, childish streak!"

"I am not asking you to hide," Atem sighed. "But if the show is to go on as planned we will have to increase security to keep you safe."

"There you are Sennen!" Seto approached, with Mai and Pegasus close behind. "We need to have a word with you and your two friends."

When Yugi turned around, Seto had to do a double take. "God help us! There are two of you," he sneered.

"Well, this is a surprise! A little brother!" Pegasus' one good eye widened in surprise. "I do hope you have not been keeping family secrets from us?! Secrets can make us sloppy and jeopardise our cover."

"I have not been keeping anything from you Pegasus. I met Anzu by chance, a couple of weeks ago. When I found out her husband, Yugi, looked like me, I had to follow it up. We met for the first time two days ago, but I do not know if we are related. Hopefully, a DNA test will confirm it."

"I see! Well, I would be surprised if you were not related," Pegasus smirked. "No one could possibly have hair like that unless they shared the same genes!"

"I don't think we should talk here." Mai ushered them towards an empty office where they could talk in private.

"When you have finished debating Yugi and Atem's lineage, would you please explain exactly what happened here this afternoon?!" Anzu demanded, nervously. "All I have been told is that Bakura is a psycho, and because of Atem, he is after me! Did he actually kill someone?! Who did he kill?!"

Yugi put his arm around her. "It's okay Anzu! Atem knows what he is doing. There's no way Bakura will get you!"

"I know Yugi," she hugged him back. "But I am on the verge of the biggest opportunity in my career and suddenly I'm being threatened by a lunatic, that until yesterday, I had never even heard of! All because he has some grudge against – and no disrespect Atem – a guy I thought was a respectable business man, and now find out he's not who he says he is but is actually some sort of secret agent!"

Atem nodded and the corners of his mouth twitched into an apologetic smile. "My company is genuine. It was set up by my adoptive father-" his eyes met Yugi's as he emphasized the word adoptive "-with the purpose of moving gold, diamonds, bonds and currency around without asking questions. I was never comfortable with doing this. Mai has been a friend since university and when I told her how I felt, she informed Pegasus that I might be a candidate for the intelligence services. The idea of making the world a safer place appealed to me. I have been working undercover with MI5 for the past year."

"And I suppose Bakura is one of those nasty people you are trying to catch?" Anzu asked shakily.

"He is, and worse," Seto snorted.

"He has been on the wanted list for over a year," Pegasus continued. "Atem brought an organisation called The Ghouls to our attention when they deposited stolen bonds with his investment company. It lead us to a man named Marik; who was also in bed – quite literally- with Bakura." Pegasus chuckled at his own joke. "Anyway, Bakura was looking to make a weapons purchase for a group of terrorists he was involved with. "We asked Atem to set up the deal. The Sennen family is well respected and trusted in that area. We knew that Bakura would not suspect that it was a trap. However, it appears that Bakura might be one step ahead of us!"

"Do you think he has someone helping him?!" Yugi asked. "How else would he get in and out of the theatre so easily? Someone must have seen him!"

"My thoughts exactly," Pegasus agreed. "I want every officer involved in today's farce, to be thoroughly checked out. This area was being patrolled by two officers. I want to know why they didn't see him?!"

"I assigned those two officers here," Seto stated. "I trust them both." He had yet to discover that a third, unknown officer had been watching and waiting for Bakura to make his escape and had told one of the officers that he was needed elsewhere, so that he could cover the escape route.

"Well, since we seem to be involved, what can we do to help?!" Anzu was keen to know.

"I would prefer it If you would just let us keep you safe while we apprehend this dangerous man," Pegasus answered. "But if you are still insisting on performing tomorrow night, then you will need to be fully briefed on how we intend to keep you safe."

Yugi and Anzu both nodded. Anzu had no intention of pulling out of the show and although they were both nervous, they were also quite excited that they might help to bring Bakura and his organisation to justice.

::::::::::::

That had been a close shave. Bakura had made it back to his hotel room in one piece – more or less.

Cursing at his clumsiness, he called downstairs for room service to bring him up a bottle of wine, in a bucket full of ice.

As soon as it arrived, he placed the ice in a towel and wrapped it around his sore ankle. He sat back in the chair with his foot propped up on the coffee table and swigged the wine straight from the bottle.

Usually, he could land with the grace of a cat, but in his haste to get away undetected, he snagged his jacket on something that was sticking out of the wall and had landed on the ground rather awkwardly. He had felt his ankle twist and give way, causing him to end up on his backside. An interfering old hag had approached him to ask if he was okay. He had told her to fuck off, leaped up and legged it before anyone else approached him.

Luckily, everyone seemed to turn a blind eye, and thankfully, the only police officer to appear on the scene had been one of Marik's Ghouls, who had infiltrated the police with the aim of assisting Bakura should he need it.

With a brief nod, the officer let Bakura go, enabling him to duck down a side street and away from the scene.

Despite his painful ankle and bruised butt, Bakura counted his mission a partial success. He had seen enough of the inside of the building to know that the place was a warren of dressing rooms and corridors, making it easy for him to creep around undetected. Without a doubt, they would increase security for the show tomorrow, but with so many people back stage, all keyed up for their performance, there would still be opportunities.

Chugging back his wine, he let out a cackle of laughter. The Pharaoh and his cronies had no idea just how bold Bakura's plan was, and by the time they realised, he would have already succeeded in kidnapping the dancer.

::::::::::::

The idea that Bakura could strike such fear into people, made Anzu shudder.

With the dancers all distracted, the rehearsals had ended early and everyone had been told to go home and rest before tomorrow night.

There had been no suggestion that the opening night of Swan Lake should be delayed. Everyone knew that was not possible, and with security being tightened, there would be no way that Bakura could get in or out without being detected, a second time!

Atem had promised to take good care of her and Anzu believed him.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. The real action starts next chapter -I promise!**

 **Please review.**


	11. Chapter 11

I hope you have all had a good week? I can't believe we are almost halfway through the year already!

Here is the next thrilling instalment. There will be some nice, mushy bonding between Yugi and Atem - in a brotherly way, I may add! No real warnings - there might be the odd curse word, or mention of guns, but nothing too bad.

Also... I do not own Yugioh.

* * *

Dance With The Devil

Chapter 10

With Bakura still at large, there could be no room for complacency.

Everyone agreed with Atem, in his assumption that Bakura was targeting Anzu, and that there was a possibility he would attack again. However, this time, Seto was adamant they would catch him.

Pegasus suggested that Anzu and Yugi should spend the night in a 'safe house', but they were not keen on that idea. Despite Yugi's concern, Anzu decided, that if Bakura was targeting her, then she should act as bait.

After escorting Yugi, Anzu and Christina home, Seto and Atem explained to them that the house would be kept under surveillance over night, in case Bakura came back to finish the job he had failed to do earlier.

To ensure their safety, the children were to be bundled off to Patrick's parents for the night, in an unmarked police car.

Patrick was not happy and was pacing the kitchen angrily. "You!" He jabbed a finger in Atem's direction. "What the hell were you trying to achieve by putting my wife, my kids and my guests in danger?!"

"I'm sorry," Atem gestured with his hands. "I did not know that Bakura was stalking me and would target my friends and family!"

"It's my fault," Anzu sighed. "If I hadn't followed you onto the train..."

"Don't blame yourself!" Atem stated. "None of this is your fault, I dragged you into it! I should not have spoken to you that day. But when you showed me the photo of Yugi, I allowed my desire to find my family, to override my judgement."

"Throwing the blame around is not going to achieve anything," Seto interjected. "We are all involved in this mess and it is up to us to resolve it."

Yugi placed a comforting hand on Atem's forearm. "Bakura is the one who is to blame. Right now, he thinks he holds all the cards but we have the ace and I know we can turn whatever sick game he thinks he is playing, in our favour," he stated resolutely.

"Thanks Yugi." Atem smiled at Yugi's simplified comparison to a game of cards and placed a hand over Yugi's hand, in gratitude and solidarity. If only it was as easy as a game of cards.

::::::::::::

Seto Kaiba left them at around nine in the evening. Should Bakura successfully evade the police patrols and the unmarked surveillance van parked in the lane opposite, Atem would be on hand to intercept him.

Christina made up a bed for him on the sofa.

Pulling the duvet over himself, he settled down and placed his gun underneath the pillow. He hoped that he would not have to use it, but if forced to, he would.

He was usually a fairly light sleeper anyway, but in situations like this he had trained himself to be able to catnap, while listening for any noise - it was a useful skill to have.

However, the last few days had left him feeling exhausted. The sofa was also very comfortable and he was soon in a deep sleep, snoring away lightly.

Luckily, the night turned out to be uneventful.

He woke up the following morning, feeling much better than he expected to feel after a night on someone's sofa. A thin veil of sunlight was filtering in through the curtains, indicating that it was a nice morning.

In his comfortable slumber, it took him a few seconds to remember where he was. Gasping at the sudden Realisation that he had been sleeping like a dead man, he reached for his gun and got up, to check the rooms downstairs. It was quiet and peaceful.

Relieved, he sat back down on the sofa and carefully put his gun in it's case and placed it under his jacket. Leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees, he ran his hands through his unruly mane and sighed.

He felt guilty that he had been a pretty useless night watchman; Bakura could have sneaked in and strangled everyone in their sleep while he snored away on the sofa. The thought made him shudder. But that had not happened and he was grateful for a good night sleep.

He glanced at his watch. Seven forty. It was Saturday and no one was up yet.

Taking a deep breath, he stretched out his muscles. When he did so, he was reminded of the bruising to his ribs. He touched the spot carefully and looked down. The bruising was still a dark purple in the centre, where the bullet had impacted the protective vest. To the outside it was lighter and was starting to turn shades of greenish yellow.

Realising he needed to pee, he made his way to the downstairs cloak room, all the while, listening and watching.

::::::::::::

Understandably, it had taken Yugi and Anzu a while to fall asleep. Not only did Anzu have to deal with the nervous excitement she was feeling for her big opening night, she as also full of anxiety about Bakura.

What exactly had been his purpose in sneaking into the Royal Opera House, past all that security? She was sure he had not done it just for kicks! Was it to kill her? Or maybe he planned to kidnap her for ransom! She found it hard to imagine that the pleasant, polite man they had met in the park was actually a sadistic killer!

Yugi was nervous too but did his best to appear stoic in front of his wife. He wanted her to feel safe and reassured by his presence. "It will all be okay," he said, leaning across the bed and kissing her softly. "Atem is downstairs and there are cops outside. I have checked the window is locked so there's no way he can get in."

She kissed him back. "Hold me Yugi?" She snuggled into him and he lovingly wrapped his arms around her.

"Am I doing the right thing by carrying on with the performance tomorrow night?"

"Of course you are! If you don't, he wins. There will be tons of security. If he shows up, they will get him this time."

"Yeah..." Feeling reassured, Anzu nodded her head against his chest. "I won't let that creep spoil my big night!"

He gently stroked her hair as they both dozed off.

::::::::::::

The following morning, Yugi was awake before Anzu, so he decided to go downstairs and talk to Atem. Getting out of bed carefully, so as not to disturb her, he pulled on his pyjama top and quietly left the bedroom.

Yugi had just reached the bottom of the stairs when Atem emerged from the bathroom. He was wearing just his Black Watch Tartan patterned pyjama trousers and had his hand down the front of them, scratching his balls.

Yugi felt a bit embarrassed and blushed at the sight of Atem's shirtless torso. Like Yugi, he was lean but obviously worked out a bit more than Yugi did because he was quite muscular. Slightly envious, he quickly glanced away and did not notice the bruising on Atem's ribs!

"Erm... morning," he muttered, barely audible, so as not to wake anyone.

Atem also blushed, stopped scratching himself and adjusted the waist band on his pyjama trousers. "Morning Yugi," he whispered back. "Sleep okay?"

"Yeah, you?"

"Surprisingly, I slept too well!" He gestured for Yugi to follow him back into the sitting room.

They both sat down on the sofa.

Atem reached for his tee-shirt and as he did so, Yugi noticed the nasty bruising on his chest. "How did you get that bruise?!"

Atem quickly pulled his shirt over his head and pulled it down to cover himself. "It's nothing."

"Nothing?! It looks horrible! What happened to you?" Atem's jaw tightened and Yugi could see that whatever had caused the bruising, was more difficult to deal with than the bruising itself. "Are you okay?" He asked, gently.

"Yeah," Atem nodded slowly. "I can't show any weakness, I need to stay focussed until Bakura is caught. I.. I don't want to let anyone down," he muttered, feeling embarrassed that he was discussing his feelings.

"You can talk to me though. I won't say anything. I know we only just met, but I feel like I know you, and I can tell you are struggling."

Atem glanced at him and smirked. "We really do share something, don't we?" He nudged him playfully, with his shoulder. "I was shot in the chest while apprehending Bakura's partner; Marik Ishtar. If Mai had not insisted I wear a bullet proof vest, I would probably be dead. It is a sobering thought and one I don't wish to dwell on."

"But you keep thinking about it... don't you?" Yugi finished for him.

"I do... but I will deal with it on my own."

"Well, if you need to talk to someone? I am here for you."

Yugi was shocked when Atem suddenly hugged him tightly. "Thank you Yugi!" Not wanting to let go, he grabbed the back of Yugi's pyjama top and gripped the material in his fists, while biting down the urge to cry. If he was Yugi's big brother then it was not cool to cry on your little brother's shoulder. "People think I'm always confident and in control. I like to let them think I am, but I don't always feel that way," he admitted.

Yugi could feel the tension in Atem's body and knew that he was feeling emotional. His immediate impression of Atem, had been that he was strong and confident – someone he could look up to! But right now, Atem seemed vulnerable. It made Yugi feel a little awkward and self conscious. Not knowing what to do, he patted his back gently and rubbed soothing circles over Atem's shoulder blade. "It's okay to show emotion sometimes. You can't be strong all the time. I know I'm not much use, but I want to help you."

Releasing his grip, Atem pulled away, but left his hands resting on Yugi's shoulders. "You have already have helped me." Just for a moment Yugi could see the vulnerability in him.

Atem playfully pushed his shoulder and grinned. "Even if we turn out not to be brothers, I am glad I found you."

At the same moment, Christina appeared in the open doorway. Slightly embarrassed for disturbing their brotherly bonding, she cleared her throat. "Good morning gentlemen! No sign of any disturbances in the night then?"

Atem's mask of stoicism immediately went back up. He stood to greet her. "Good morning Christina. No, it was quiet. There was no sign of Bakura, but that does not mean we can let our guard down."

"No, I just hope it doesn't affect my dancers!" She sighed. "Would you like some tea or coffee?"

They both nodded and confirmed that they would like some tea.

::::::::::::

Having slept well, Bakura needed to put the rest of his plan into action. The Pharaoh seemed very fond of his lookalike and the dancing girl. He assumed they were family. And if there was one way to hurt someone, it was through their family.

Initially, the easiest target had been the dancer, but after today's failed kidnap attempt, they would be guarding her. Bakura saw that as a challenge. Yes, it was a fool hardy challenge, but one he could not resist.

Sure, he could just walk up to one of them in the street and stick a knife into their gut, but where would the fun be in that?! No, playing sadistic mind games, kidnapping and getting them to try and find him, was far more enjoyable.

He picked up his two tickets from the night stand. There was a reason why he had purchased two: They would be looking for a lone male, with tanned skin and white, blonde hair. He had already cut his hair, but if he was to get into the Opera House undetected, he would need a good disguise and a date to accompany him. The London bars were always crawling with desperate people looking for love. Both men and women found him attractive and he never had any problems bedding either. All he had to do was flash an alluring smile and of course, the tickets.

Getting out of bed, he stepped gingerly onto his twisted ankle, he could still feel it and it was now looking quite bruised. But he had a hight tolerance for pain and could just about put weight on it so it would not inhibit him too much, and with an ankle support, he would barely feel it.

Taking the hair colouring kit he had shoplifted the previous day, he went into the bathroom to complete his disguise.

The fools had absolutely no idea he was hiding, right under their noses!

::::::::::::

Since Bakura had seemingly 'vanished into thin air' preparations were being made to secure the theatre and ensure that Bakura could not get in undetected a second time.

Yugi wanted to stay with Anzu, but that was not possible as he was not allowed backstage.

"Don't worry Yugi," Mai reassured him. "I will be chaperoning her the whole time. You must not worry, okay?" As a teen, Mai had taken a course in hair and beauty, and was confident in her ability to blend in as one of the stylists. She was actually quite looking forward to putting her make up skills to the test. However, the true reason she was there would remain at the front of her mind. If Bakura really was as slippery and clever as they say, then she would not put it past him to find a way inside the theatre.

::::::::::::

With Mai tasked with guarding Anzu, Security inside and around the theatre was being co-ordinated by Seto and Pegasus.

Because there had been no clues as to where Bakura might be, they were concerned about Yugi's safety and suggested that he should not go anywhere unaccompanied. Atem quickly volunteered to stay with him as it would give them more time to get to know one another.

"I have arranged for us to have our DNA tests," Atem told him, leading him to the pathology department.

"How long will it take to get the results?" Yugi asked with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

"If they are not too busy, they might be able to get the result by the end of today."

"Really?! I thought it took like a week, or something!"

Entering the laboratory, Atem asked for Mana. He had met her at the department's annual Christmas Disco, last year. They had danced together and flirted a little. Atem had thought about dating her but had decided against it because she seemed just a little too keen on him, and he did not want to hurt her by telling her that he was happy to have sex with her but did not want a long term relationship. But they had remained friends.

"Atem!" A vivacious young woman, with wavy chestnut hair tied into a ponytail to keep it under control while she worked, came bounding over.

Yugi smirked at the way she giggled in Atem's presence, and made a mental note of the way his stoic friend squirmed like a sixteen year old boy with a boob fixation. Yugi himself had already noticed that under her white coat, she had a nice, shapely figure.

She took them into a small office. "It won't take a moment." She put on a pair of sterile gloves and picked up two sealed packets. Tearing them open, she handed each of them a swab.

Yugi stared at it nervously, unsure what he was supposed to do with it. Mana noticed his uncertainty.

"It won't hurt! You put it in your mouth and rub it on the inside of your cheek!"she told him.

"There's really nothing to it!" Atem assured him, rubbing his swab round the inside of his cheek. He popped it into the sterile plastic pot and handed it to Mana, who carefully placed it in a sealed bag to avoid contamination. Yugi copied Atem, with his swab.

"Because it's you," Mana giggled. "I will try to get a result for you by this evening, but realistically, it may not be until tomorrow as we have had quite a backlog of work to clear, and Mahad won't be pleased if I go behind his back," she informed them.

"That's okay," Atem replied with a wink. "I don't want to get you in any trouble, so just do your best."

Mana blushed when he winked at her. She would not mind getting into trouble with Atem.

Thanking Mana, they left.

"I think she likes you," Yugi teased.

"Really?!" Atem pretended to be shocked. "I hadn't noticed," he smirked, making Yugi roll his eyes.

"Shall we go and get something to drink?" Atem suggested, quickly changing the subject.

"Okay!" Yugi nodded.

Atem took Yugi to the staff restaurant. They had finished the lunch service, which meant it was not too busy at this time of the afternoon. They ordered a large pot of tea and two slices of Victoria sponge cake and sat down at a table.

"I want you to know," Yugi said, sheepishly. "That even if you are not my brother, I still want us to be friends."

"I would like that very much." Atem smiled, the most relaxed, genuine smile he had managed in recent weeks. He really wanted Yugi to be his brother.

::::::::::::

By early evening, everything was in place.

Having showered and changed, Yugi and Atem arrived at the Opera House, wearing their best suits. They found Seto kaiba in the foyer.

"Not even a blow fly can get in without my knowledge," Seto boasted, as Yugi and Atem approached him.

"I hope you are right," Atem said, a little less sure. He noted that two police officers were security checking everyone on the way in. Since this happened in many large venues, due to the Islamic terror threats, no one thought anything of it.

Atem and Yugi walked through to the bar and purchased non alcoholic drinks. Yugi noticed how Atem was discreetly watching everyone who came into the bar.

Not long after Atem and Yugi had entered the bar, Bakura arrived at the Royal Opera House. On his arm, was a rather pretty young woman, who he had met in the hotel bar that afternoon. As soon as he flashed his spare ticket, her eyes widened enthusiastically. She had no idea her date was currently Britain's most wanted criminal!

Bakura himself, sported neatly gelled, dark brown hair, brown contact lenses and neatly trimmed designer stubble. He looked extremely smart and cultured in his dress suit. "Good evening," he said politely and quietly, in his Oxbridge accent, as the officer quickly ran a metal detector over him and nodded that he was clear to enter.

He resisted the urge to smirk triumphantly at how easy it had been to fool them. Instead, he took the hand of his 'date' and asked her if she would like to go for a drink in the bar before the performance started.

As soon as they entered the bar, he spotted Atem and Yugi standing in the middle of the room, chatting. Not willing to risk the chance that they might, by some slim chance, recognise him, he made sure that he kept his back to them and merged into the crowd.

"Well, it doesn't look like he showed up," Yugi quietly said to Atem.

"Maybe the security Seto put in place is deterring him. I hope it stays that way, I want to enjoy the ballet. You must be so proud of Anzu?"

"Yeah," Yugi beamed. "This is one of her dreams come true and I can't wait to see her dance. It's just a shame all this business with Bakura had to happen.. not that I'm blaming you!" He added, when he saw the guilty expression on Atem's face.

"Shall we go and take our seats?" Atem suggested.

Yugi checked his phone for the time. "We probably should."

Bakura watched as they walked right past him, without so much as even a glance in his direction.

::::::::::::

Nervous anticipation was leaving Anzu feeling feeble. The churning feeling in her abdomen was awful and she felt like she wanted to be sick. She let out a whimper. "What if I can't remember my dance steps? My mind has gone blank!"

"It's just stage fright. You will be fine once you get on stage," Mai reassured her, as she put the finishing touches to Anzu's hair.

"I hope you're right. I feel like I just wanna go home and cry!"

"Don't do that, you will ruin your make up!" The comment made Anzu laugh. "That's more like it! There, I think you are done." Mai stood back and admired her work. "Beautiful!" She beamed.

"Me or your handiwork?"

"Both."

Christina approached them. "Good work Mai!" She had been worried about letting an unknown stylist work on her Prima Ballerina but was impressed with Mai's level of skill.

"I have many talents," Mai boasted.

"If you have finished, I want all dancers who are due on stage in act one, ready to start warming up. We are onstage in ten!" She received a chorus of replies confirming they were all ready to go.

"Doh..." Anzu groaned. "My legs are so wobbly I can hardly stand, let alone dance," she said, getting out of her chair and following the other dancers into the warm up studio.

Keen to not leave Anzu's side, Mai went with them.

::::::::::::

When Anzu took to the stage as Odette, Yugi felt himself swell with love and admiration for his wife. He wanted to stand up on his seat and yell to the whole auditorium that this beautiful ballerina was _his_ wife.

The moment she took to the stage, Anzu's nerves vanished. Her performance as Odette and Odile, alongside Alexi as Siegfried, was beautiful and sensually stunning. The audience were encapsulated by their chemistry.

Yugi had to bite down the small amount of jealousy that crept into his heart. He had to remind himself that they were only acting.

Sat next to him, Atem was feeling emotional. He wondered if it would be sissy to cry! Telling himself that it was, he swallowed down his emotions. It was only when he sneaked a glance around – in the pretence that he was checking to make sure Bakura was not sitting nearby – that he spotted several people with handkerchiefs, dabbing at their eyes.

When he glanced at Yugi, he noticed the look of pride and love on his face, but no sign of tears. That settled it – there was no way he was going to cry. Somehow, folding his arms always made him feel resilient and more in control, so he inhaled deeply and folded his arms across his chest.

However, as the final act played out and Otette and Siegfried realised that the only way they could be together and break the curse, was in death, he felt the tingling sensation of emotion creeping up through his chest and into his throat again. His bottom jaw tingled as he tried to stop himself from showing emotion.

Yugi glanced at him and Atem tried to avoid eye contact so that Yugi would not see that his eyes were full of tears. When he saw Yugi smirk, he scrunched his face up and tried not to laugh at his silly behaviour.

The whole audience were clapping and cheering. Atem joined in and took a moment to quickly wipe his face on his hand. He saw Yugi do the same and at that moment he did not care how sappy he felt.

Amidst the clapping and cheers, people were taking the opportunity to dab their eyes and blow their noses. Yugi and Atem both pulled tissues from their pockets and hastily blew their noses.

At that moment of emotional release, Atem felt enlightened – he could suddenly understand why people became emotional and cried at a moving piece of music or a sad story. And for a short time, he had been able to completely forget about the threat of Bakura.

::::::::::::

Even Bakura held some emotion. He too had cried at the ending and was almost having second thoughts about what he was planning to do. The girl truly was a gifted dancer.

He watched as the dancers left the stage. There would be an encore and everyone would be tired and emotional from the performance. Guard would be down and that would be his one opportunity.

Telling his date he was desperate for the toilet, he slipped out of his seat and headed for the exit door, which was right next to the door leading backstage. Quite a few other people got up as well, so he did not look out of place.

There was a young man guarding the door but he was not really paying attention to his job. Christina had taken the stage and was thanking everyone. She was calling each of the dancers by name and stating the part they had played, so that the audience could show their appreciation.

The young man deserted his post for a second, to peer around the side of the stage to look.

Bakura seized his chance and opened the door swiftly, just wide enough to slide through. He was now backstage.

::::::::::::

Laughing and breathing heavily from exertion and exhilaration, Anzu, Alexi and the dancers with her all laughed and congratulated each other for such a wonderful performance. "I need the little girls room," Anzu told them. "I think I have enough time before Christina calls us. I won't be long." She dashed off to the ladies lavatories.

In all the commotion, Mai had lost sight of Anzu. "Crap!" She pushed her way through the throng of people who had all suddenly appeared. There seemed to be newspaper reporters and cameramen, all pushing to get to the principal dancers. Seto had said he wanted to keep the scavengers out but someone must have let them in. She suspected the director of the show as he was keen on publicity.

Pushing her way through, she found Alexi. "Where is Anzu?"

"She desperate pee. She return in moment," he told her.

"And you let her go on her own?!"

"I cannot go in ladies with her!" He giggled.

Mai tutted in frustration at his flippancy. "Which way did she go?"

"That way." He pointed along the corridor to where Bakura had broken in the day before.

::::::::::::

Victims always seemed to make Bakura's job easy for him. As he rounded the corner, he found himself face to face with Anzu. "Hello gorgeous," he grinned.

Anzu looked at him in confusion. "Do I know you?"

"You could say, I am your biggest fan!" In less than the blink of an eye, he pulled a small syringe from the lining of his jacket, snapped it open and plunged the tiny needle into her neck. One small drop of the deadly nerve toxin was enough to completely paralyse her – any more and she would be dead. It took effect immediately, rendering her totally helpless.

* * *

 **Gasp! Bakura has Anzu! Will he get away or will Mai be able to stop him?! Find out next chapter!**

 **Please review.**


	12. Chapter 12

Warnings for this chapter: Some violence, a gun being waved around, murder and the odd swear word.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

* * *

Dance With The Devil

Chapter 11.

The audience clapped appreciatively as each member from the cast of dancers, costumers and musicians were introduced to the audience for their encore.

::::::::::::

Elated from the show, Anzu's heart rate was already elevated when Bakura confronted her, causing the toxin to take effect immediately. Even Bakura was shocked at how quickly she collapsed and he only just caught her before she hit the floor.

Since they were right outside the same ladies lavatories, through which he had entered the building the day before, he decided to leave that way. He remembered that it was a bit of a drop down onto the ground, but he could handle it. The street below should be quiet and was one of the two escape routes he had considered possible. He also knew that his window of opportunity for a clean getaway, was minimal.

He was just about to heave Anzu onto his shoulders when he heard a woman approach. By the Gods, was she loud! He turned to see the annoying blonde detective woman, running towards him.

He spotted her reaching under her skirt to draw the small pistol she had strapped to her thigh and barely had time to drop Anzu to retaliate.

The velcro that held the pistol inside the garter on her upper thigh would not come undone. Mai swore and for a split second, was forced to glance down to see what was stopping it.

Capitalising on her moment of hesitation, Bakura lunged and grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her back. Pulling her against his body, he pinned her against his chest in a vice like grip. With his other hand, he squeezed her throat.

Mai tried to struggle but panic was beginning to overcome her as her oxygen supply was cut off. However, she refused to give in and continued fighting with every ounce of strength she had left.

The woman was not as easy to subdue as Bakura hoped she would be. Her wriggling and clawing at his arms made it difficult to keep a grip on her.

In the struggle, Mai had somehow managed to pull her gun free, but she was starting to lose the fight. With her breathing constricted, her vision was starting to blur. Her body twitched as Bakura tightened the hold he had on her windpipe. Her body went limp and the gun slipped from her fingers, onto to the floor.

::::::::::::

When Christina finally called for principal dancers; Anzu and Alexi, to join the cast on stage and take their bows, everyone started rising to their feet in anticipation. The volume of cheering and clapping increased.

Yugi and Atem stood up proudly. They were determined to cheer louder than anyone else.

When neither Anzu or Alexi appeared, the sound of appreciation faltered and gradually faded away, to be replaced by confused chatter. Christina called again.

::::::::::::

Bakura could hear the cheering from the auditorium grow to a crescendo and then falter. They must have just found out their Prima Ballerina was missing! He needed to get a move on.

He felt Mai's body go limp and let her drop to the floor.

Wasting no more time, he pocketed the gun, scooped Anzu into his arms and ran into the toilets.

Hauling her up onto the windowsill, he opened the window and contorted himself so that he was half in and half out of the opening. It was awkward, and took longer than he would have liked, but he managed to push Anzu through. He tried to lower her as near to the ground as he could before he let her drop.

He cringed when she landed like a sack of potatoes and hoped that nothing had broken – damaged goods were always harder to barter with.

::::::::::::

Alexi appeared on stage, hesitantly. "Anzu not back from toilet!" He mouthed to Christina, shrugging and waving his hands in confusion. "Mai go find her. They not come back."

Christina coughed into the microphone. She did not really know what to say. "Ladies and Gentlemen. I'm afraid Anzu Mutou; our beautiful swan, Odette, is currently... indisposed. If you could just have patience for a few moments, I'm sure she will be here soon." Her voice tailed off as it was lost in the chatter from the audience.

"That's not like Anzu! Something must have happened!" Yugi looked at Atem with an extremely concerned expression.

"Try not to worry, I will speak to Mai." Atem fumbled for the earpiece of his radio. He had taken it out and turned it off earlier so that he could enjoy the performance. "Mai! Where's Anzu?"

It was Seto Kaiba who replied."Atem?! We have a problem. Mai is not responding. I will meet you back stage."

"Shit!" Atem hissed, turning to Yugi, with a worried frown. "Stay here, I am going to investigate."

Yugi was so worried that he was almost trembling. "No way! I'm coming too.." When Atem opened his mouth to tell Yugi that it was an order not a request, Yugi bore into him with a look that told him there was no way he was staying here. "Anzu is _my_ wife," he growled.

Atem understood that look, and with a nod of his head and a worried half smile, he gestured for Yugi follow him. "Just don't leave my side, is that clear?"

"It's clear," Yugi almost snarled as the pair squeezed out into the isle and ran towards the stage door.

The young man guarding the door went to stop them but Atem shoved his MI5 badge at him and more or less pushed him aside.

Backstage, they were greeted with mayhem. "This way! Quickly! We found the blonde lady!" A frightened looking stage hand gestured for them to go with him.

Yugi noticed how the colour drained from Atem's face. Mai must be more special to him than he let on!

They followed the stage hand to where a member of staff with a first aid qualification, was tending to her.

::::::::::::

Letting himself down, Bakura hissed menacingly at a young couple, who had stopped walking and were staring, horrified by what they were witnessing.

The young couple flinched when Bakura waved Mai's gun at them.

The young woman was about to scream. "Make a noise and you are dead!" Bakura growled. The young man placed his hand over his girlfriend's mouth and nodded.

The terrified couple hugged each other and backed away slowly, to let Bakura pass.

Satisfied the young couple were too traumatised to do anything to stop him, Bakura hoisted Anzu over his shoulder and bolted down a narrow side street.

As much as he wanted to kill them, there was no point in wasting valuable time by doing so – they should thank him for sparing them! Bakura was not bothered if the couple ran off and told someone they had seen him, he would be long gone.

The extra weight he was carrying was starting to cause pain in his damaged ankle and he began limping.

He just about made it to where he knew, from scouting out the area beforehand, that there was a private car parking company. He went into the small office and stuck a gun in the night watchman's face. "Keys?! Any will do."

"No!" The brave – or foolish - man reached for the panic alarm. Bakura was quicker.

Firing the gun would have made too much noise so Bakura used it to hit the man in the soft spot on the side of his head. The man fell to the floor, unconscious.

After allowing the young couple to live, Bakura needed the rush of a kill. He knelt down, and with a quick twist, felt the satisfying crack of the unfortunate attendant's neck, as it snapped.

::::::::::::

"No... Mai!" Atem knelt down beside her. "What happened is she...?"

"She is alive, but unconscious," the young woman replied.

Atem gently touched the bruising around Mai's neck, where she had been throttled. She was lucky to be alive! Usually, when Bakura strangled someone he would finish the job properly, but in his haste to escape he had stopped applying pressure the moment she started to loose consciousness.

Mai's eyelids fluttered open and upon seeing Atem's face, she tried to speak, but it came out as a rather hoarse.. "-baa.. k," causing her to cough painfully.

"Don't try to speak. We will catch Bakura." He soothingly stroked her forehead.

Watching Atem tend to Mai, Yugi was becoming more and more anguished. "Where is Anzu?!" His plea was not directed at anyone in particular – he knew the people around him had no idea where Bakura would take her – but he hoped that someone might have seen them escape.

At that same moment, Seto kaiba and Pegasus came running over. Seto gasped when he saw his colleague on the ground. "What happened?!"

Atem stood up. "Bakura attacked Mai and has taken Anzu! Lock this place down and block every exit!" He yelled at them. He turned to Yugi, "We will find her, Yugi! I promise!"

Yugi's anger and frustration was beginning to boil over. Why were they all standing here, when they should be looking for Anzu?! His fists balled at his sides. "You were supposed to protect her!" He yelled at them.

His eyes fell on the door to the ladies lavatories. Without hesitation, he shoulder charged the door and barrelled inside.

Seto shouted after him to stop, but Yugi was not listening.

"Bakura you bastard! If you're hiding in here I will find you, so come out and face me like a man!" It was eerily quiet. He started kicking open the doors do each lavatory but stopped when he suddenly spotted the open window, he ran over and jumped onto the wash basin. "Anzu?!" He yelled desperately through the opening. It was a good six feet to the ground below and he could not see Anzu or Bakura anywhere.

Atem and Seto had followed him into the ladies toilets. "Yugi, calm down! We will find her!" Atem pleaded with him, but all he received was an angry response.

"It's your fault she's gone!" Yugi snapped back at him. "With or without your help, I'm going to find her." He started climbing through the open window.

"Don't be an idiot Mutou..." Seto hissed. Yugi turned back to him and glared.

"You might be afraid of Bakura, but he's got my wife!" In this situation his small physique was an advantage, enabling him to climb through the opening with ease. Holding onto the window ledge, he dropped down onto the street below.

"Go with him Sennen," Seto ordered. There was no way he was squeezing his six foot one inch frame through that window.

Before Seto had even given his order, Atem was already halfway through the window opening. Yugi's words ' _it's your fault'_ had cut into him like a knife and he felt absolutely awful. Yugi was right, it was his fault, and he owed it to Yugi to find Anzu, before it was too late.

"We need to look for clues..." Atem dropped down from the window and landed next to Yugi, who was looking up and down the street, unsure of what to do next.

"Someone must have seen them!" Yugi yelled in frustration.

Unfortunately, the terrified young couple had already fled.

"My hunch is that way," Atem pointed towards the side turning Bakura had used. "It is the way I would go if I wanted to escape." Without replying, Yugi bolted down the narrow side street.

::::::::::::

Bakura was tempted to take a Jaguar, or maybe a Rolls Royce, but instead, helped himself to a set of car keys for a less conspicuous Ford Mondeo.

He bundled Anzu onto the back seat and drove out through the exit, onto the main road.

::::::::::::

The side road that Yugi and Atem had followed, lead them to a dead end. They were faced with the rear fire escapes and private parking for shops that were now closed for the night. "Where did you go Bakura?" Yugi hissed.

"There!" Atem said, pointing at the portable cabin, on the forecourt of a two story car park. "I think this is how he got away!"

"By car?!"

"Either he had a car parked here, or he stole one!"

They ran to the small office and immediately spotted the body on the floor. "Is... Is he dead?" Yugi gulped.

"Yes, I am afraid so." Atem opened a channel on his radio. "Kaiba! I think I have found out how Bakura got away." He explained where he and Yugi were, and that they had discovered the murdered car parking attendant.

"Do you know which road the exit from the car park leads to?" Seto asked.

"I'm not certain but most likely, Long Acre!"

"Stay where you are. I will be with you in a few minutes," Seto answered.

Yugi and Atem waited for him to arrive and moments later, two police cars screeched to a halt and Seto and Pegasus leaped out of the lead car. Three police officers got out of the second car and began cordoning off the murder scene, to prevent members of the public from interfering.

"The underground stations have already been closed and road blocks are being put in place. Bakura will not get far! In the meantime, I suggest you get Yugi out of here and let me handle the hunt for Bakura," Seto told them.

Yugi felt helpless and was not happy about being ordered away from the scene by Seto Kaiba. "No! I'm not going anywhere until Anzu is safe!" He protested.

"Go home Yugi... That is a police order! Sennen, you stay with him! I will let you know as soon as we have any leads."

"I'm still not going," Yugi growled, defiantly. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even know how Bakura got away!"

Seto was angry that Yugi was implying the police were not doing their job properly. "Go... home.. Before I have you arrested for obstructing a police officer," he threatened.

"Come on Yugi." Atem placed his arm around Yugi's shoulders. We should go and check on Mai. All we can do now is wait and let Kaiba do his job." Atem glared at Seto.

Yugi was still unhappy and wanted to protest, but reluctantly accepted that there was not much he could do. Seto's demeanour softened slightly.

"Look! I know you are worried about your wife. But I promise we will do everything in our power to find Bakura and rescue Anzu," he tried to placate.

"Yeah, I know," Yugi mumbled. "But when it comes to Bakura, it just doesn't seem to be enough."

"The city is on lock down. I will search very square metre of London if I have to! I will not let him get away," Seto said, resolutely.

::::::::::::

They were just closing the road off as Bakura drove away in his stolen Mondeo. A police car with blues and twos flashing, came speeding up behind him. He smirked to himself as he copied the other cars around him and pulled to the side of the road so that it could pass through the traffic. It stopped, some distance ahead, in order to set up a road block. To avoid it, Bakura turned left and then went right into a side street, that only busses and taxis were supposed to use.

He continued along the road until he reached the embankment, and then followed the river towards the East End, before taking the A13 out of London.

He wondered how long it would be before they discovered which car he had taken. He doubted that it would take long before they worked it out and put out a warning for traffic monitors to be on the look out. He hoped he could get to where he had parked his hire car before they did.

With the search still centred in Central London, he need not have worried. He made it to his hire car, unchallenged, placed Anzu on the back seat and abandoned the stolen car. There were no cameras around here and it was a very quiet road. No one would suspect anything. He was soon on his way again.

His tummy began growling. All this excitement was making him hungry. The girl would probably sleep for another hour or two so he was in no hurry. He decided to stop off at a Little Chef, where he purchased a burger and coke before continuing his journey.

::::::::::::

There was still no sign of Bakura so it was assumed that he had gone to ground, somewhere inside the area that was in lock down. But they could not be certain and would continue to widen their search.

The most obvious starting point was to find out which vehicle he had taken and then trace his journey. So Seto and Pegasus quickly began viewing the footage from the CCTV cameras in and around the car park.

It took time to sift through the data but they found what they were looking for: The camera focussed on the entrance to the car park, had picked up Bakura, carrying Anzu. It showed him enter the kiosk and then leave a few minutes later.

"The bastard is in disguise! No wonder no one recognised him," Seto snarled angrily.

The next camera showed him placing Anzu on the rear seat of a dark blue, Ford Mondeo. He then got into the drivers seat and drove away, through the exit of the car park. The time lapse on the camera showed that it was just three minutes before Yugi had come running up, closely followed by Atem.

"By the skin of his teeth!" Pegasus hissed.

"Lucky for Yugi or he would probably be dead," Seto ground out.

"If there's a road block at the end of Long Acre, why haven't they caught him?" Pegasus wondered.

Seto had a terrible feeling in his gut, that Bakura had somehow evaded them and had left the city. "We need to see where the Mondeo went. Has anyone here got access to the ANPR?"

"In my patrol car Sir! Do you think he is still in London?" The traffic officer assisting them asked.

"There is no way of knowing what is going on in that snake brain of his. That is why we are studying the footage," Seto said sarcastically.

"Start with the A roads first," Pegasus said.

The officer typed in the registration number of the Ford Mondeo into his on board ANPR system. All sightings of the vehicle on the traffic cameras popped up on his screen. "It looks like he evaded the road block by using a bus and taxi route!"

"Damn! Idiots! I told them to block every road!" Seto thumped the dashboard of the car and rolled his eyes angrily.

"I have traced it's journey and it was last seen in Dagenham Sir! Right here on the junction of the A1306."

"He has either dumped the car there and taken another, or that is where he is hiding. Lets go!" Seto ordered the officer to drive him to Dagenham as fast as possible.

With blues and twos on, they set off at full speed. Seto sat in the passenger seat and gave orders for all units to head to Dagenham, while Pegasus sat in the back seat.

::::::::::::

Mai had been taken to hospital to be checked over.

Meanwhile, the small vial containing the toxin had been found on the floor, discarded by Bakura when he had snatched Anzu, and had been rushed to the laboratory for testing.

Yugi was distraught at the news that Bakura might have poisoned Anzu. "What do you think he's given her?! What if... its..?" He trailed off, unable to entertain the thought.

"My guess is that it is some sort of sedative. Anzu is fit and healthy, so it should not harm her."

"What do you think he is planning to do? What it he hurts her?" The tearful look Yugi gave him demanded the truth, not some half hearted excuse. Atem bit his lip.

"If Bakura had wanted to kill Anzu, he would have done so and fled the scene. He took an enormous risk to kidnap her, so to him, she is a valuable asset. I think he will take her to a safe hideout and will probably issue a ransom or some sort of demand. How we react to his demands will determine the outcome."

"I don't trust him! We have to find her before it's too late!"

"We _will_ find him." Atem patted his shoulder.

"I can't stand it! I can't sit here and do nothing, it's driving me insane!"

"I can't stand it either Yugi. But we have no idea where to look for him. I suggest we let the police do their job, while we go and check on Mai. Seto Kaiba will find a lead, and then we can put an end to Bakura's sadistic game."

Reluctantly, Yugi agreed. Atem was right, there was nothing he could do. And he knew that Atem needed to see that Mai was okay.

All they could do now was wait.

::::::::::::

It was nearing eleven thirty when Bakura pulled up at his base on Canvey Island.

Anzu was still out for the count and he was getting a bit concerned that she might not wake up. The toxin he gave her was not usually fatal but there was a chance that he had misjudged the dose.

It would be a shame if she died before he could execute his wicked plan.

* * *

 **Note: ANPR – Automatic number plate recognition. Its a scary thought, but they can use it to track the movement of any vehicle they choose. They can even tell if the car is taxed, insured and road legal.**

 **Thank you for reading.** **Please leave a review on the way out.**


	13. Chapter 13

I don't know why, but I like this chapter. I hope you do too.

Please note: While Canvey Island is a real place, I do not know if there is currently a disused Victorian building that was, or is in use as an arcade. And since most small British seaside towns are pretty bleak off-season, it is safe to assume that it would be deserted.

Warnings: There might be a bit of swearing. There is also mention of guns and some pretty sinister behaviour.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

* * *

Dance With The Devil

Chapter 12.

Mai acknowledged that she had been very lucky; Bakura had probably intended to kill her but had been in such a hurry to escape, that he had failed to finish her off!

Yugi hovered in the doorway as Atem took Mai's hand in his and tried to reason with her, advising her to listen to the doctor's advice and spend the night recovering in hospital.

Yugi felt sorry for Atem when Mai snatched her hand away again. Atem looked a little hurt by the rejection.

"You are a stubborn woman Mai. I wish that sometimes, you would just let others take care of you."

"You know I can't allow that," she rasped, looking away from Atem. She felt ashamed for letting Bakura get the better of her; her failure was the reason Bakura now had Anzu.

For a moment, her eyes caught Yugi's but she quickly averted them. The look of helplessness and worry on his tired face, spoke volumes – it was her fault. She felt like a pile of horse shit. "I should have done more to protect Anzu. You must hate me Yugi..." she mumbled, as tears started to well up in her eyes.

From where he was standing, Yugi could not really hear what Mai was saying. It did not help that English was not his first language, and therefore, he needed people to speak clearly.

Poor Mai, she obviously felt personally responsible. By the apologetic look in her eyes, he assumed that she had been trying to say she was sorry, but her throat was so sore and bruised, she could only mumble in hoarse whispers.

Yugi wanted to tell her that he did not blame her for failing to protect Anzu, but he could not bring himself to say anything. He did not blame her, but deep down inside, he did feel angry; not just with her, but with Atem and Seto too, and it made him feel selfish.

"Hey!" Atem said to Mai, softly. "You mustn't blame yourself. You were brave to try and fight him but he was just too strong for you."

"Too strong for a woman, you mean..." There was a hint of bitterness in her painful, hoarse voice. "It is still my fault. If it had been you or Kaiba protecting her, Anzu would be safe and Bakura would be in custody."

"You don't know that! Stop blaming yourself! Even Andy fell victim to Bakura, and he was a big, strong guy. I am just thankful you didn't end up the same way!"

Mai pouted at him. Atem forced a smile and gently stroked her upper arm with his fingertips. "Let the doctors take care of you tonight and you can re-join the investigation tomorrow morning, okay?"

Her stoic friend could be so soft and caring sometimes and it melted her barrier slightly. Mai tried to nod but her neck hurt too much and she could only grimace. "Okay, but let me know the moment you hear anything?"

"I will come and collect you in the morning, in the meantime, rest." He kissed her cheek and stood up to leave.

Her wall of resilience was soon back up! She had absolutely no intention of staying in hospital, and as soon as she was certain that Yugi and Atem had gone, she discharged herself.

::::::::::::

All they could do now, was play the waiting game and hope that Bakura contacted them, or that the police found him before he harmed Anzu.

After getting an update on the current situation from Seto, Atem took Yugi back to his luxury apartment and urged him to get some sleep.

"Sleep! How can I sleep?!" He angrily protested.

"At least try to rest. You will be of no use to Anzu if you are a basket case when we find her. I will make a pot of camomile tea; its supposed to help you relax." Atem was feeling jittery too. He wanted to be out hunting for Bakura, not sitting around feeling helpless. But looking after Yugi was also an important job, and he would rather look after Yugi himself, than leave him with a family support officer.

Yugi pulled a face at the taste of the camomile tea, but drank it down anyway.

Acknowledging the need for sleep, they turned in for the night.

Yugi borrowed a spare toothbrush, cleaned his teeth and then changed into the pyjamas that Atem had lent him.

He sat down on the bed and looked around the small, sparsely decorated guest room. There was a built in wardrobe with a mirror door in the centre panel and sleek, aubergine coloured doors on either side that had a slightly reflective sheen to them. The slightly off white walls were decorated with a couple of tasteful prints and a large pot plant stood on the floor by the window. The room was extremely clean and the polished wood floor was spotless. Either Atem was a clean freak – which he doubted, or he had someone come in to to the cleaning.

The bed was very comfortable but he found it hard to get any sleep. Why was there no news?

::::::::::::

Just as they reached Dagenham, Seto received news that a patrol car had found the abandoned Mondeo, parked in a residential street.

Seto noted that the houses were all set back from the road and had private driveways. The houses had nice front gardens, indicating that it was a fairly affluent area. The fact that the houses were set back from the road, also meant that they might not have taken too much notice of Bakura leaving the car there.

Seto ordered his officers to search the surrounding area for any sign that he might be hiding in an empty building or anywhere that might appear suspicious.

It was gone eleven at night and the sight of blue flashing lights in the street outside, had already woken up several of the residents. Seto and Pegasus began interviewing them.

One or two were not happy about being disturbed but most were willing to help. Among them a man and his wife who said they had been working in their garden yesterday morning, and had seen a man with blonde hair, park a silver Vauxhall Corsa outside their house. They had noticed him because of his exotic appearance and thought he looked a bit queer! The car had been left there all day and night and they had wondered if the man was a friend of their gay neighbour. Pegasus had already spoken to the neighbour, who had been away on business the previous day and had no idea who Bakura was.

"Did you see the number plate?" Seto asked them.

"Erm... sorry, I don't think I did. Did you?" The man asked his wife. She thought for a moment and then shook her head.

"I'm afraid I didn't think to look at the number plate!"

Seto seethed quietly. They had probably been more interested in their neighbour's private life than the car!

Thanking the couple, he and Pegasus walked back to the waiting police car. "We're wasting time here. No one knows anything." Seto got back into the passenger seat and asked the driver to check the cameras on the main junctions, for any silver Corsa's passing through within the last hour.

"There's several directions he could have gone from here. It might take some time," the officer told him.

"Do you have any idea how many silver Corsa's there are on the roads, Kaiba Boy?!" Pegasus sighed.

"Of course I do, but we have nothing else to go on. We just have to hope we get lucky."

Seto got on the radio and informed all traffic patrols to be on the look out for any silver Vauxhall Corsa's being driven by a man in his mid to late twenties, with short hair, dyed brown.

They decided to return to head quarters and manage the investigation from there.

::::::::::::

Atem lay on his bed and tried to come up with a list of probable scenarios. Given Bakura's psychological profile, none were good. He had thought that Bakura might have been in contact by now, to taunt him, but the silence was worrying.

After a while, he drifted off to sleep.

It was nearly two in the morning when he received a phone call.

The phone volume was on low, and it was the buzzing sound of the phone vibrating on the dresser that woke him up from his shallow sleep.

He had not even realised he had dozed off, and imagined he had a wasp or something in his room! A second later, he realised it was his phone and not a wasp. Waking with a start, he fumbled for his phone, knocking it onto the floor.

Cursing, he picked it up and almost dropped it again when a sinister voice said **"** _ **Hello Pharaoh!"**_

"Bakura!" He hissed. "Where are you? What have you done with Anzu?!"

There was a sinister chuckle on the other end of the line. " _ **Stop asking questions."**_ He rang off, leaving Atem perplexed.

A message quickly followed. _**Don't try and trace my call, you would be wasting your time. Go to Dagenham Services and wait there until you receive my next instruction. Come alone. Tell anyone and the girl dies.**_

Atem dressed quickly, in black jeans, black tee shirt and a black zip up bomber jacket.

Carefully checking the bullet cartridge was full, he placed it in his back pack with his gun and tiptoed out of his room.

Knowing he was going into a dangerous situation, Atem hoped that he could sneak out without Yugi hearing. He dare not even ask his friend Rafael for help! It was him that Bakura wanted and there was no doubt in his mind that Bakura would kill Anzu if he got even the slightest hint that he had brought anyone with him.

He quickly wrote out a note to Yugi, left it on the table and then padded to the front door with his shoes in his hands, so as not to make a noise on the polished wooden floor.

He was just about to open the door, when Yugi appeared in the doorway of the spare room. "Where are you going?" Yugi had been drifting in and out of a restless sleep and even though Atem had tried to be quiet, Yugi had still heard him.

"I have a lead. But I don't want to put you or Anzu in any danger. I need to follow up on it alone..."

"So, what? You were just going to sneak out and leave me here?!"

"I left a note," Atem replied, apologetically nodding towards the dining table.

Yugi walked over and picked it up. He quickly scanned what it said. The thought that Atem would go without him was deeply wounding. "And you thought I would just accept this?! I can't believe that you would leave me here and go chasing after Bakura on your own!" He shouted angrily. "With two of us against him, we at least stand a chance!"

"I haven't got time to argue with you Yugi, I have to leave now and you're not even dressed. Anzu was kidnapped because of me! And it's up to me to save her!" Atem snapped, his anger directed more at himself than at Yugi.

Yugi glanced down at himself in a pair of Atem's pyjama trousers and a tee shirt. "Don't you dare leave without me!" He snarled. "I am not losing Anzu and I am not letting you risk your life as well – not when I only just found out you were..!" Realising what he had almost said 'alive', Yugi stopped his sentence abruptly and cursed in Japanese.

The level of emotion in his voice made Atem falter for a few seconds. What did Yugi almost finish saying? He wanted to ask but he could not get sidetracked, when he really needed to get going. "Okay, but hurry," he sighed.

Yugi ran back into the bedroom and hastily threw off the pyjama trousers and pulled on his boxers and his trousers. He kept the tee shirt he was wearing, on. Grabbing his socks, he ran back out, to find Atem standing, holding a navy blue, hooded top

"It's cold out! You will need a this."

Yugi thanked him and put it on. He shoved his feet into his shoes and left the laces undone – he could put his shoes and socks on properly, in the car.

They took the elevator to the basement car park and were quickly on the road.

"Where do you think he's taken her?" Yugi asked, sorting out his shoes and socks.

"I don't know. Looks like he might have headed somewhere in Essex. His message told me to go to Dagenham Services and wait."

"Shouldn't we let Kaiba know?"

"He has threatened to harm Anzu if I involve anyone else. That is why I am going to drop you somewhere nearby and deal with Bakura myself."

"You are not facing Bakura alone.." Yugi said, defiantly.

"I don't want you or Anzu to get hurt."

"I won't let him hurt her. I'm stronger than I look."

"It has nothing to do with strength, it's just..." He sighed... "I _will_ save Anzu and I won't die, I promise."

"You won't die because I will be there to save Anzu, while you deal with Bakura."

Atem almost screamed loudly. "You don't give up, do you?! You're even more stubborn than I am! Perhaps it is a family trait!"

Yugi would agree that they shared lots of family traits, but he would not describe himself as stubborn; he was just determined to save Anzu! They were silent for a moment before Yugi spoke.

"I want you to know... that whatever happens, even if the test is negative, I would still like you to be my brother... if you want to be, that is?!"

Atem glanced at him. "Yeah, I would like that.. What did you mean when you said you had only just found me?"

"It's nothing, I didn't mean to say that..."

"It doesn't sound like nothing! What is it that you are hiding? I am a trained agent. I know when someone is being cagey about something."

"I wasn't going to tell you until we got the DNA test back."

"Why?"

"Because... because you don't need to know unless you _are_ my brother."

"Okay, if that is what you want, I won't push you for answers. But if there is anything you are hiding from me Yugi, I want to know."

"It's nothing, just me... wishful thinking. I have always wanted a brother and now I've found one." There was silence as they both pondered what Yugi had said. Atem knew there was something Yugi was keeping secret from him, but what? Had Yugi's mother given a child up for adoption before Yugi was born?! He wanted to know, but he respected Yugi's wish.

The roads were quiet at this time of night and they were making good progress. They arrived at Dagenham Services in less than twenty minutes.

"We have to wait here until Bakura calls me again. We should get some coffee and something to eat. It's going to be a long night and we need to keep alert."

They ordered a coffee each and a plate of chips to share. Neither felt much like eating anything but they knew they would need the energy.

They finished their chips and took their drinks to the car, and waited.

"I wonder when Bakura will call?" Yugi worried. They had been at Dagenham Services for thirty minutes and had not heard anything.

::::::::::::

At last, Anzu was re-gaining some feeling. She had been more or less conscious for the last thirty minutes but had been unable to move her limbs.

She had no idea where she was, except that the building looked like a disused office. She had been placed on a smelly old cushion cover from a sun lounger. Her hands and feet were bound, and as the feeling returned to her body, she realised that she was wet from where she had been unable to control her bladder.

Grimacing with embarrassment and discomfort, she started to struggle.

Bakura appeared in front of her, munching an apple as if he did not have a single care in the world.

"Bakura! Why are you doing this?"

"Ah... I see you are awake and have regained some feeling in your limbs, my dear!"

Anzu flinched, as painful sensations shot through her limbs when she moved. "What did you give me?"

"The effects will wear off eventually. In the meantime, I suggest you lie still if your nerve endings are causing you pain."

"They will notice I'm missing! Yugi will come and save me! You won't get away with this!"

Bakura just smirked. "Won't I?! Your little husband is weak compared to me. There is nothing he can do. And besides, I have no argument with him, it is The Pharaoh I want. But if little Yugi gets in my way, I will crush each of his vertebrae, one by one, with my bare hands." Snarling viciously, he squeezed the apple core in his hand, until the juice and pulp began oozing between his fingers. He licked at it. "Mmm.. I wonder if The Pharaohs' blood is as sweet!"

"You're sick! Do you know that?! And why do you call Atem, The Pharaoh?"

"Hasn't he told you?! That is what the bastard likes to think he is! It is his code name. He stole my money and screwed me over. Because of him, I am now on the run from the authorities, while Marik is in the hospital with a smashed shoulder; after your two faced Pharaoh shot him." He did not know that it was actually Seto Kaiba who fired the shot that shattered Marik's shoulder.

"That's a lie! Atem wouldn't shoot anyone!"

"Oh! My dear! You don't know half of what he is capable of, do you?!" He tipped his head back and started laughing. "Time for my next move." He took out his phone and rang Atem.

::::::::::::

As if Bakura had also heard Yugi's question, Atem's phone rang. "That has to be _him_!" Atem quickly answered it... Bakura..." he hissed.

" _ **Listen and don't interrupt. You are to drive to Fantasy Land, Canvey Island. It is on the beach. Come alone. If you bring anyone, or inform the police, the girl dies."**_ In the background, Anzu was struggling and trying to shout out that it was a trap. Atem heard Bakura telling her to shut up.

Yugi opened his mouth to speak but Atem quickly put his hand up to cover Yugi's mouth and shook his head.

" _ **Is there someone with you?"**_

"No, I'm alone in my car. I am doing just as you ask. Let me speak to Anzu? I want to know she is unharmed."

" _ **Can't you hear her shouting? She is making enough noise for you to know she is alive!"**_ He hung up.

"Bakura?!" Atem growled, but he had already gone. Atem cursed and thumped the steering wheel. He started to key 'Fun Palace, Canvey Island' into his sat nav.

"How far is Canvey Island?" Yugi wondered.

"It's about thirty minutes from here." He waited for the satellite to load the destination and then drove off.

Both men were starting to feel really nervous now. Bakura was setting a trap and they were heading right into it.

Yugi found the tension in the car unbearable and tried to make conversation.

"I wonder when we will hear the result of the DNA test. By the time we do, this will all be over and Bakura will be caught." His voice was shaky and lacked conviction, but he desperately needed to keep his faith in Atem to resolve this, somehow.

"There will only be one outcome, Bakura must die. He will not allow himself to be taken alive." Atem tried to exude confidence, but deep inside, he was anything but confident.

Yugi shuddered at the thought of Atem killing the man. "I hope no one dies," Yugi almost whispered. He would not wish death on anyone – not even Bakura.

Atem glanced at him from the corner of his eye as he drove. Yugi looked small, pale and tired as he sat, huddled in his seat.

::::::::::::

Bakura checked the time. High tide was at roughly four thirty in the morning. By his estimation, Atem should be here by four.

"Come on my dear, we are going for a walk. Can you stand up?"

"What do you mean? No! Of course I can't stand, I'm tied up you idiot!"

Bakura smirked. "You have a lot to say for yourself woman! I am getting tired of hearing your voice." He took out a roll of tape and placed some over her mouth to stop her talking. He cur the rope around her ankles and then pulled her up onto her feet. Her legs were weak and wobbly from the toxin and gave out underneath her, forcing Bakura to hold onto her. "You stink of piss," he grimaced.

Anzu tried to tell him that it was his fault for poisoning her but with the tape over her mouth, it came out as a muffled noise.

He dragged her out onto the path that lead around the sea wall. It was a dark night and she cold not really see anything, but she could hear the sound of the sea.

Bakura dragged her down onto the sand and her legs gave out again causing her to fall over. He picked her up and with his arm around her waist, dragged her down to the waters edge.

Anzu looked out at the inky water. The clouds were parting slightly allowing the moon to peek out from behind them. It's light bounced off the surface of the water, casting an eerie glow.

At this time of year, even in the daytime, this area of the beach tended to be deserted. But at night, it was a desolate, lonely place.

She noticed he was carrying a bundle of rope over one shoulder. What was he planning to do?

Her question was soon answered when he waded out to about knee deep and started tying her to a post that marked where the sandy part of the beach ended and the sea defences began. The post was there to stop small boats and bathers from straying onto the concrete structures when the tide came in.

Realising what he was planning, Anzu started to panic. She tried to scream, but the gag restricted the noise and what little noise she could make, drifted away on the breeze.

"Stop struggling, you are only making it more difficult for yourself!" With her hands still bound in front of her, he fed the rope between her arms and bound her body against the post so that she was held securely in place.

In the struggle, she managed to pull the tape away from her mouth. "You're insane! Why are you doing this? I've done nothing to you... Why?" She started crying and tried to escape his grasp, but she was still very weak from the toxin and he was quite a strong, muscular man.

With her resolve and strength fading, she resigned herself to her fate.

"It's nothing personal. You are just a pawn to get to The Pharaoh. It's a shame because I thought your performance was excellent tonight. You have... or rather, _had_ a great future ahead of you."

He turned his back on her started to wade to the shore.

"No... Please, don't leave me here! If you had an ounce of humanity in you, you would let me go!" The water was cold and she was still dressed in just her costume.. It felt almost ironic that her fate was to drown, just as Odette had in Swan Lake.

Hesitating slightly at her plea, Bakura turned around to glance at her. Could he really do something so cruel, to an innocent young woman? Yes, he could.

"My humanity died when I was four years old and was forced to watch as my family were murdered." He seldom disclosed his past to anyone and it almost unnerved him to do so, but he took a deep breath and composed himself once more. "The tide comes in quickly here. You probably have around fifteen minutes before the waves start to cover you." His hands were shaking as he walked back up the beach and out of sight.

Despite his slight moment of hesitation, there was no guilt or remorse in his actions. He put his emotions down to nervous excitement and calmly went back into the disused Fantasy Palace to await Atem's arrival.

::::::::::::

The investigation was taking its time. It did not help that cameras on two of the junctions were out of action, due to maintenance work causing a power failure in that area. Seto was not pleased.

"I cannot believe this! Of all nights, they have to go and choose tonight to cut the electricity!"

A young female police constable came into Seto's office with the printed details of a vehicle. "Sir?! I have a report on a silver Corsa that was stolen in Braintree two days ago."

"Good work. Follow it up. I presume the vehicle has not been recovered?"

"There are no reports Sir."

After wasting time following up the lead, it was deemed that this was not the vehicle. "Shit!" Seto threw his pen down and rubbed his tired eyes. "If we could just get a break! Anything!" The exhaustion and frustration was beginning to take it's toll on him.

* * *

 **Please review. I only got one review for the previous chapter and I was worried no one loved me anymore ;-(**


	14. Chapter 14

There was so much to pack into this chapter that it has ended up being pretty long! It is action packed from start to finish and was a pretty challenging chapter to write, so I hope you like it.

I must warn that there is some gun violence and swearing in this chapter. The situation also looks a little bleak for some of our main characters!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

* * *

Dance With The Devil

Chapter 13.

When Mai walked into the office, Seto looked up from his laptop and scowled. "Why are you not in hospital?! Go home and rest, you can re-join the investigation tomorrow."

"I can't rest," she whispered. "Not until we save Anzu from that.. monster." The emotion in her strained voice and the look of determination on her weary face, made Seto relent.

He started to bring her up to date on the hunt for Bakura. The only thing they had to go on so far was that he might be driving a silver Vauxhall Corsa but they had not identified the vehicle.

"Have you had any demands from him yet?" Mai asked, while waiting for her laptop to boot up. This sort of detective work was her forte. She was pretty certain she would find the car they were looking for.

"Nothing yet!" Seto told her. "It's revenge against Sennen he wants. My guess is that he will demand we hand him over in exchange for the girl and then go for death by cop, taking Sennen with him!"

"You don't think he will ask for money and safe passage out of the country?"

"I doubt it. He knows we will not allow that so he will want to go out in a blaze of glory," Seto snorted.

"You wouldn't let Atem meet Bakura on his own, would you?!"

"Not without backup! I have asked Sennen to let me know if Bakura contacts him and we will take it from there. In the meantime, I intend to locate Bakura before he has the chance to issue any demands."

"Then we had better find him, fast!" Mai got to work. They had already eliminated half of the cars captured on the cameras during the previous forty eight hours. The A13 had been very busy yesterday and silver Vauxhalls were one of the more common vehicles.

The roads were much quieter tonight, but the cameras being out of action put them at a disadvantage. It seemed all the luck was on Bakura's side.

Opposite her, Seto was sitting with his eyes half shut, rubbing his temples. He could not get a migraine, not now!

"Maybe you should go and rest for a bit. I will let you now when I find something," Mai rasped. He looked at her with an irritable glare. She threw a packet of pain killers at him. "Try these.. The hospital gave them to me, they are pretty strong so you only need one."

He popped one in his mouth and took a swig of water to help him swallow it. "I will get some more coffee." He got up and left.

Mai continued working. The Vauxhall Corsa was a small car, that ranged from basic models to rather nifty hot hatches and were very popular with anyone ranging from elderly couples to boy racers. None of the cars on her list had been reported stolen and Mai had no reason to suspect any of the owners as accomplices to Bakura, but there was one car that stood out. Going with her hunch, she decided to concentrate on that one first.

"I think I've got something," Mai said, when Seto eventually returned, with two mugs of coffee. He immediately put the coffees down on the desk.

"What is it?"

"A rental car. It was hired in East London, eight days ago. Since we think that was around the time Bakura may have entered the country, I thought I would check it out."

"Have you contacted the rental company yet?"

"Since it's two in the morning, that might be a problem. I decided to track the route it took yesterday. It travelled from Canvey Island to Dagenham, turning off the A13, close to where he dumped the Mondeo. I am certain that this is the car we are looking for."

"Where did it go tonight?"

"Most cameras in the area we have been concentrating our search, are out of action so I checked the ones on Canvey Island, and bingo! It was last seen heading towards the seafront at about one o'clock this morning."

If Seto was pleased, he did not show it. Instead, he looked thoughtful. "He must have a hideout there, somewhere... Where would be a good place to hide on Canvey Island?"

"There's not much there, but I did work on a case a couple of years ago, involving a serial killer who hid one of his victims bodies in a disused arcade."

"Is it still disused?"

"As far as I know, it's still derelict. They wanted to knock it down but there was a petition to save it because of it's Victorian architecture." She quickly typed it into google. "Looks like it has a preservation order but there are no funds to restore it."

It was a eureka moment for Seto. "That's where he's taken her!" He sounded so certain that Mai was taken by surprise.

"We can't be certain! And if he is there, how do we approach him without alerting him to our presence?"

"He will not be expecting us. We will act swiftly and quietly. I want Tony and Alex with me as they are our two best marksmen. I plan to do everything in my power to stop him, before he hurts anyone else."

"Do I tell Atem and Yugi?" Mai questioned.

"No! I don't want them getting involved. They are too close to the girl and will only be a liability."

Within thirty minutes Seto and Mai, along with the two police marksmen, were speeding out of London, towards Canvey Island. They were approximately twenty minutes behind Yugi and Atem.

::::::::::::

"Do you have a plan?" Yugi asked nervously, as they pulled up and parked, in the rather neglected, potholed car parking area.

Atem looked at him thoughtfully. "Sort of... No, not really. I'm just going to go in there and hope for the best." He reached behind his seat and grabbed his backpack. When he took out his gun, Yugi's eyes went wide.

"Are you really going to use that?!"

Atem sighed and slowly nodded. "I dislike weapons but I can't go in there unarmed. He is dangerous and it might be the only way I can protect myself and save Anzu." He loaded the bullet cartridge into the hilt of the weapon, placed it in its holster and clipped the holster onto his belt.

"Have you ever had to... you know, shoot anyone?" Yugi enquired.

"No... I have been trained to use a firearm and passed the course with flying colours, but I have never shot a real person." With the weapon loaded, he pushed open the car door. "Stay here Yugi, I don't want you getting involved."

"No way! I am coming with you. I can get Anzu while you deal with Bakura."

Atem knew that he was not going to stop him without using force, and he did not wish to hit Yugi. "Okay, but do _not_ come into the building with me. I want you to stay well back and only enter once I call out that it is safe for you to do so. Is that clear?"

Yugi nodded that it was and the pair got out of the car and headed for the entrance. Atem slowly pushed the door open. "Stay here..." he mouthed to Yugi.

Readying his firearm, he cautiously stepped into the dingy building. It was eerily quiet and he knew he was walking into a trap.

There was no electricity to the the building and the only light he could see was from a small battery powered lamp, on a table in the main hall. Some slithers of moonlight also seeped in through the broken and partially boarded windows. He paused to let his eyes adjust.

Passing the ticket booth and with his senses on high alert, he checked it was clear before proceeding into the main hall. The elaborate, Victorian, steel pillars that supported the ceiling were showing signs of neglect and streaks of rust stained the flaky, dark green paint.

The floor was covered in sand and shingle which had blown in through gaps in the windows. It crunched far too noisily under his feet.

Behind him, Yugi ignored the advice to stay outside and crept in through the door. He stopped at the ticket booth and hid behind an old vending machine that had been left to rust.

Atem tried to keep to the darker half of the room as he stepped deeper into the building. Pausing, he eyed the doors off to the side.

The lamp on the table at the far end of the room, gave enough light for Atem to see the doors to the toilets. He doubted that they would be hiding in there! They had to be behind one of the other doors. But which one?

Bakura would most likely be using Anzu as a shield, so he had to use extreme caution. This was where all the training he had done came in to play; how he reacted, would decide who lived and who died. His hands were starting to sweat.

Tightening his grip on the pistol, he kicked open the first door and burst inside.

His eyes quickly scanned every inch of the room, pistol ready – the room was empty.

Checking it was all clear, he exited the room and tried the second door. It had previously been an office, but the only furniture remaining was a couple of broken office chairs and a filing cabinet with no drawers.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he realised that this was the room Bakura had been using. But where were they now? For every second that went by, he was becoming more and more nervous.

So as not to be taken by surprise, he kept facing the door as he edged over to the padded sun lounger cushion that Bakura had used as a bed.

Crouching down, he carefully touched it and found it was damp. He wrinkled his nose when he realised that it was urine he was touching.

He carefully picked up a small piece piece of the silky trim that had been torn from the costume Anzu had been wearing and studied it sadly before pocketing it. There was also an old blanket, a pair of gloves, a woolly hat and a few empty food and drink containers.

He stood abruptly when it suddenly occurred to him that Bakura might have wired the building with explosives, taken Anzu and moved elsewhere. No! That was unlikely because Bakura would want to kill him with his bare hands and watch him die.

This was all part of Bakura's sick game and the trap had yet to be sprung.

With his heart thumping, he prepared to exit the room. _Where are you Bakura?_

From behind the vending machine, Yugi spotted a figure slide out from behind another door, on the opposite side of the hall. It was Bakura!

Yugi watched as Bakura casually strolled into the centre of the room and stopped. There was an evil smirk on his face as he stood there, facing the room that Atem had entered. The slithers of moonlight and the shadow cast by the lamp on the table, highlighted his features, giving him a sinister, almost insane appearance and it made Yugi shudder; he bore little resemblance to the pleasant man he and Anzu had encountered in the cafe.

Yugi suddenly saw the glint of a firearm in Bakura's hand and realised that he was raising it, ready to shoot Atem the moment he came into view.

With his own weapon still raised, Atem appeared and Yugi leaped out from behind the vending machine and yelled. "Bakura's got a gun! Look out!"

Atem threw himself to one side, just as a bullet slammed into the wood, right where he had just been standing. It seemed Bakura wanted to disable him rather than kill him because the bullet smashed into the door frame, roughly where his knees had been.

Yugi froze where he stood; Bakura's gun was now pointing at him.

Atem kept his composure as pushed himself to stand.

All three were now facing each other: Bakura, with his gun aimed at Yugi, Atem with his gun aimed at Bakura and Yugi standing like a frightened rabbit in headlights, looking nervously between Atem and Bakura.

"Go on Pharaoh! Make your move. Can you shoot me before I have time to pull the trigger and kill your little lookalike?"

Atem took a deep breath. His hands felt sweaty and he was finding it difficult to prevent them from shaking. His aim felt anything but steady. "Try me?!" He growled.

Yugi suddenly found the courage to speak. "Where is Anzu?"

Bakura just smirked. "It is a lovely night for a swim, don't you think?! Mind you, it is a bit too cold for me and there are lots of things in the water that you can get caught on."

"What have you done with Anzu, Bakura?!" Atem snarled.

"I thought she would like to emulate her character from Swan Lake!" He smirked

Yugi started shaking his head as the meaning behind Bakura's words dawned on him. The bastard had thrown her into the sea to drown! "No.. you... you wouldn't," he hissed, voice dripping with hurt and anger. "Anzu is innocent... why?!" His voice started to break up, emotionally and the tension in his body increased.

"No one is innocent," Bakura sneered. "Do you think you can save her? Go on, try..."

Yugi gulped, staring at the gun pointing at him.

Bakura's words were taunting him and without any thought for his own safety, Yugi turned and ran. The only thought in his mind was to save Anzu. He moved so quickly that it took Bakura by surprise.

The shots that Bakura fired were erratic. One tore into the top of the door frame, just above Yugi's head and the other hit the clear, perspex window of the ticket booth. Yugi barely even registered the bullets that so narrowly missed him.

With the gunshots ringing in his ears, he sprinted down the beach, towards the sea.

::::::::::::

In the same split second that Bakura fired, Atem also opened fire, putting two bullets into Bakura. One hit him in the side; just above his hip and the other hit his arm.

The gun flew from his hand as he fell, groaning in agony at the burning inside his body. Atem ran over to check his injuries.

"You win Pharaoh! Go on! Finish... me off..." Bakura snarled, grimacing in agony.

Trembling, Atem pointed his gun at Bakura's head. Bakura smirked up at him as if daring him.

Atem's finger twitched against the trigger. Right now, in the heat of the moment, he really wanted this monster to die... But he also wanted him to live so that he could face the charges against him in court.

"No..." Atem breathed, lowering his gun. "Unlike you, I am not a murderer."

"C... coward..." Bakura made a choking sound and vomited up blood, before appearing to pass out.

For a few seconds. Atem just stood there, staring. The pool of blood under Bakura's body was getting bigger by the second. None of this seemed real... he had just shot a man and was watching him die!

No! He could not let him die!

Snapping out of his trance, Atem ran back to the room in which he had found Bakura's belongings and grabbed the blanket. He tried to rip the blanket but the material was too thick. Guessing that someone like Bakura probably carried a knife, he searched his jacket pocket and found a Swiss Army Knife. "Ha! don't tell me you were a Boy Scout!" Atem snorted, slashing the edge of the blanket so that he could rip it into manageable pieces.

The only response he got from Bakura was a hissing sound – the man was too far gone to fight him.

Using the pieces of blanket, he started to apply pressure to the wound in Bakura's side and wrapped a makeshift tourniquet around his arm. The bleeding slowed.

::::::::::::

The large black Land Rover containing Seto, Mai and the two police marksmen pulled up and parked in a side street about fifty metres from the disused building.

"That's it," Mai pointed.

"Okay, well it looks quiet enough! We will proceed with caution," Seto replied.

A second later, they heard the gunshots.

"Shit! It sounds like a shoot out!" They loaded their weapons and cautiously got out of the vehicle.

Obscured by the sea wall, they crept along the promenade.

They stopped at the end of the wall and peered round at the now silent building.

"Sir! We should proceed with caution," One of the marksmen whispered. "I suggest you let us clear the building before following us in."

"I do not want the girl harmed, is that clear," Seto growled.

"That's Atem's car!" Mai gasped.

Seto threw his hand up in exasperation. "Fucking idiot! What the hell does he think he's doing?!" Raising his revolver, he gave some quick instructions. Accompanied by the armed marksmen, they rushed inside.

::::::::::::

Atem was frantically trying to stop Bakura from bleeding to death when they barged into the building.

"Armed police! Drop your weapon and put your hands in the air!"

Panicking, Atem threw his hands up. "Don't shoot! I'm a police officer!"

"Sennen! You fucking idiot!"

"Kaiba?! How did you...?!"

"I will explain later," Seto interrupted, cutting him off mid sentence. "I want to know what the hell you thought you were playing at with your idiotic, maverick heroics," he angrily demanded.

"I don't have to justify my actions to you," Atem seethed, "Make sure he doesn't die, I need to go and find Yugi and Anzu." Soaked in Bakura's blood, he tried to leave. Seto blocked his way.

"You brought Yugi – a civilian, with you?!" He towered over Atem in an attempt to belittle him. Atem squared up to him.

"I don't have time to argue, Kaiba. Anzu is in danger and Yugi is trying to save her. I have to help them." He pushed Kaiba aside and ran out of the building, passing Mai on the way.

"Wait?!" She rasped, glaring at Seto and then at Atem as he passed her. "What has happened to Anzu?"

Atem stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. "Bakura told us he threw Anzu into the sea! Yugi has gone to save her!" Leaving her standing there, he ran towards the sea. If Anzu was in the water and Yugi and gone in after her, they might both drown.

Mai felt personally responsible for Anzu's situation and was horrified. She wanted to yell after him to wait but her bruised vocal chords would not let her.

Ignoring Seto's demand for her to help Bakura while he phoned for an ambulance, she ran after Atem. Screw Bakura, Yugi and Anzu were more important than that bag of shit bleeding to death on the floor.

::::::::::::

Yugi shouted out desperately for Anzu, but the sea breeze and the sound of the sea as it churned over the coarse sand and shingle, carried his voice away.

As he scanned the murky water, he spotted her tied to a post. There were several posts, which he guessed were there to mark something under the water that was potentially dangerous. He knew he should be careful of these potential hazards but he did not care about himself, all he wanted was to save his wife.

The water was already up to her chest and with each wave that rolled in, it was getting higher. Her head was slumped forward and she did not look in good shape.

Knowing it would weigh him down, he threw his hooded top onto the sand, and charged into the sea. The water was freezing but pumped with adrenaline, he barely felt it.

It was still shallow enough for him to wade out to where she was tied. Reaching her, he wrapped his arms around her.

Hypothermic and with her fighting spirit drained, she barely lifted her head in response.

"Anzu! Can you hear me?!" In response, she made a small whimpering sound and when she murmured his name, her voice was full of hope that he would save her.

"It's going to be okay Anzu. I will get you to safety." He started fumbling with the rope, but he was already shaking with the cold and found the knot impossible to undo. The current was also threatening to pull him away from her.

He needed a knife to cut through the rope but he did not have one, and there was no time to go and find one either. If Anzu was going to die, then he had made up his mind to stay here and drown with her.

::::::::::::

As soon as Atem spotted Yugi in the water with Anzu, he gasped in horror. "Oh... shit! Is Anzu okay, Yugi?!" Yugi did not appear to hear him so he yelled again. "Yugi! Can you hear me?!"

Yugi suddenly heard someone shouting something at him. He was relived to see it was Atem. "I can't free her. She's tied to the post. I need a knife to cut through the rope." He was not shouting loudly enough.

"What?!" Atem yelled back.

"I need a knife to cut the rope!" He yelled and made a sawing gesture. Atem immediately twigged.

After cutting the blanket, he had placed Bakura's Swiss Army Knife in his pocket. He pulled it out and opened out the blade.

Quickly taking off his boots, Jacket and heavy studded, leather belt, he threw them onto the ground next to Yugi's hooded top and ran into the sea.

At only twelve degrees centigrade, the water felt icy. The tide was now running at full speed and the water was already deeper than when Yugi had waded in only five minutes ago. The current had also increased, making it difficult to reach them without dropping the knife.

Clinging to the knife, he surged forward with determination.

The water was now up to Anzu's chin and while Yugi was able to rise up with each wave and keep his head above water, Anzu could not and some waves splashed over her head.

Yugi kissed her but with cold faces, neither could feel anything. "Atem is coming to cut you free. We're gonna get you out of here. Don't give up! I love you... Never forget that.. I love you." Her response was a mere whimper.

Reaching them, Atem wrapped one arm around them to stop the current pulling him away again and started cutting at the rope. Thankfully, the rope was not very thick and he cut through it quickly and was soon able to free her upper body. But it appeared that Bakura had used two pieces of rope and there was another piece holding her lower limbs in place.

Atem took a deep breath and dived under. He could not see what he was doing, and while trying to hold onto the rope, he managed to stick the knife into his hand, but he was cold and barely felt it. He continued to grip the rope and the next cut was successful; Anzu was free.

Yugi immediately got onto his back and pulled Anzu onto her back with him. Holding her securely, he started kicking towards shore.

Getting back to shore took a great deal of effort and fatigue was setting in so quickly that he was unsure if he would make it before his body started shutting down.

A local police officer, who had been alerted by the shooting, had just arrived on scene and waded in to the water to help. Yugi was relieved when he suddenly felt a strong pair of arms grab him and pull them both to safety.

The police officer who had pulled them both to shore, pulled off his coat and wrapped it around the barely conscious woman. He then set about checking her vital signs.

Yugi was shivering violently and flopped onto the shingle, next to Anzu Mai picked up his discarded hoodie and wrapped it around him. "We need to get you somewhere warm and get you out of those wet clothes," she told him.

"I don't think she's breathing!" The officer shouted. "We need a paramedic!" It appeared that Anzu's hypothermia was so severe her body was shutting down. The officer immediately started doing CPR.

"What's happening?!" Yugi cried desperately.

Mai pulled out her police radio and ignoring her painful throat, rasped desperately at Seto. "Anzu is alive but we need a paramedic, urgently!"

With so much happening, no one had noticed that Atem had not made it to shore.

::::::::::::

The sound of the gunshots, followed by the police and ambulance sirens had woken several people up.

The local police force quickly started placing blue and white tape around the building to keep curious locals from getting in the way.

"I'm a doctor!" One of the locals offered.

The police officers knew him and let him in so that he could help Seto.

"I'm Doctor Glen Wilson." He quickly shook Seto's hand. "What do we have?"

"Gunshot wounds!" Seto blurted. The doctor nodded, opened his bag, containing his emergency first aid kit, and quickly set to work.

A few minutes later, the first ambulance arrived.

While the doctor was busy assessing Bakura, Seto received Mai's plea for help. Mai was usually composed and he was shocked at the desperation and fear in her voice.

"Leave that scum, I need you to come with me? There is another casualty," Seto informed the doctor.

"But this man is critical. If I leave him now he will die!" It left them with a moral dilemma.

Thankfully, they did not have to make the decision because the arrival of ambulance crew alleviated the the situation.

Seto breathed a sigh of relief. "I need one of you to come with me. There is a casualty on the beach." He and one of the paramedics made their way down the beach, leaving the doctor and the other paramedic attending to Bakura.

::::::::::::

Having cut the rope restraining Anzu, Atem surfaced. He was relieved to see that Yugi was already pulling her back to the shore.

Atem was a decent swimmer but had not been swimming for quite some time. He was out of practice, and he was certainly not used to the cold water and strong current. Just as he was about to swim to shore, a wave hit him in the face causing water to go into his mouth and up his nose. He coughed and started to panic.

Caught in the current, he became disorientated and lost his sense of direction. He flailed about, but in his state of panic could not seem to re-gain control of his breathing and went under again.

In an instant, thoughts of his life filled his head. Now he would never know if Yugi was his brother! Another wave hit him, filling his mouth and nose. He wasn't ready to die, not here, not now!

::::::::::::

"Where is Atem?!" Mai suddenly screamed in a high pitched, rasping whisper.

In his distraught state, Yugi had not even thought to make sure Atem was with them when they reached shore.

He staggered to his feet and looked out at the post Anzu had been tied to; there was no sign of Atem. The wind had picked up in the last few minutes and the sea was becoming choppy, making conditions treacherous. How could anyone survive in there?!

"No! Atem!" Without thinking, Yugi was stumbling towards the water. Mai tried to hold onto him but he shoved her and she fell to the ground. Yugi was off balance and stumbled over her. He got up again and tried to get to the water but she grabbed his leg and held on tight.

"Don't be stupid Yugi. You will drown too if you go back in there!" She was wheezing and tears were streaming down her face. "He's gone!"

"No! I won't accept that!" He yanked his leg free, stumbled, got up again and went into the water. He was cold and weak from already having been in and there was no way he would be able to rescue Atem, but he was going to try.

Mai knelt on the sand, and ignoring her sore throat, screamed at him to stop.

The officer helping Anzu was forced to leave her and pull Yugi back out of the water, just moments before he got himself into serious trouble.

As the much bigger, stronger officer dragged him back onto the beach, Yugi tried to fight him off. But he was tired and shivering so much from the cold that he barely had any strength left to fight.

Seto and the paramedic approached, and were horrified at the sight of Yugi yelling and struggling against the officer who was attempting to restrain him.

Seto was shocked to see that Mai was on her knees in the sand, crying out hysterically. Next to her, Anzu lay motionless on the sand.

"Crap! Is she dead?" Seto shouted at Mai, hurrying over to them and crouching down.

The paramedic hurried to Anzu's side and examined her. "She is alive but very unwell. We need to get her to hospital."

Mai tried to stand but her legs were feeling weak. "Atem is still in the water... he's..." she sobbed.

"Shit! And you lot are just standing here?!"

"There!" Yugi yelled, pointing to what appeared to be a person, struggling in the water.

It was still another hour or two before the sun would start to rise and the ocean looked dark and foreboding. The waves rose to form inky looking mountains, before either falling away to be replaced by another wave, or breaking to give the appearance of ghost-like horses dancing on the surface. Spotting a person was almost impossible, but Yugi was certain he had seen him.

Seto had seen him too. As quick as lightening, he pulled off his coat, jumper, boots and trousers and went charging into the water.

"You will never find him! The sea is too rough!" The officer holding Yugi, shouted after him.

"Seto! No! It is icy cold and the waves are too big!" Mai called out, but no one could hear her desperate rasps.

As a teenager, Seto had been an open water swimming champion. He was used to swimming in cold water and choppy conditions. He was not afraid of the sea, but he did respect it.

The moment that he went into the water and started to swim, he could feel the strong current pulling at him. He angled himself so that he was swimming across the current, knowing that it would push him in Atem's direction.

Powering through the water, Seto quickly reached him. Atem had swallowed a lot of water and appeared to be lifeless. However, the choppy conditions made it impossible for Seto to check if he had a pulse. The best he could do was get him to shore as quickly as he could.

Grabbing him under the armpits and supporting his head, he began kicking for shore. "Don't die on me Sennen," he hissed.

Atem's head lolled and his eyelids fluttered. He tried to speak but all he could make was a gurgling sound.

As he battled the waves and current, Seto felt his foot hit one of the sea defences below them. The sharp barnacles, clinging to the concrete gashed his foot but he ignored it and continued forcing his way back to the shore.

The sea conditions were fierce and it took every ounce of his skill and strength as a swimmer to make it to shore. He had no intention of dying in this God forsaken, desolate place.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Even I the author, I felt the tension writing that! I hope the tension came across okay?**

 **Please let me know in a review.**


	15. Chapter 15

I hope I haven't left too may typos or errors in this chapter! Only it's been a crappy, stressful week and I have been feeling exhausted. It has not been helped by the General Election and terrorist attacks putting everyone on edge. There have been some pretty nasty people spouting politics on Facebook too - people I am not sure I want to be friends with anymore as a result. It all helps put me in a bad mood. LOL.

Anyway, enough complaining, here is the next chapter. One or two to go after this and I will be honest and say that so far, the ending is a bit muddled and needs some work before it is publishable.

* * *

Dance With The Devil.

Chapter 14.

Fighting his way back to shore was far more difficult than Seto could have imagined, especially carrying the weight of Atem with him. Atem's black denim jeans caused extra drag and weight but at least the man had used some sense and removed his jacket and the heavy studded belt and shoes he usually wore, before jumping into the water.

Seto could feel his muscles starting to seize with the cold and he knew that if he did not reach the safety of shore soon, he might not make it.

The thought of them both drowning caused him to put in one last big effort and suddenly his feet touched shingle.

But then the undertow pulled his feet out from under him and he was tumbling under the water. The disorientation panicked him and he lost his grip on Atem.

Struggling to find his orientation in the water, he was relieved when someone suddenly grabbed hold of his arm and helped him back onto his feet. Quickly escaping the waves, he scrambled up the beach in a very undignified, crab like way.

::::::::::::

The air ambulance had been called to take Bakura to the nearest major trauma centre in London, and it was now circling, looking for a suitable landing spot, where the rotors would not kick up sand and shingle which might cause damage to the helicopter.

If the gunshots and sirens had not already woken everyone up, then the helicopter certainly had!

Curious people ventured out of their homes to see what was happening.

Some had already come down to the water's edge and it was two of these bystanders who had aided Seto and dragged Atem onto the beach.

Having been the one who had gone into the sea to rescue Atem, Seto felt personally responsible for his welfare. Oblivious to the fact that he was cold, wet and dressed only in his boxers, he pushed the bystanders aside and took charge of checking Atem's vital signs.

The two bystanders who had pulled Atem onto the beach did not really have a clue about giving first aid to a victim of near drowning and stepped aside willingly.

"He's stopped breathing! Where are the paramedics?" Seto shouted, tilting Atem's head back slightly to check that his airway was clear. Placing his mouth over Atem's, he breathed oxygen into his lungs. He checked Atem's pulse again but there was nothing so he began doing chest compressions. "Don't just stand there gawking! Get me some help?!" He yelled at the small crowd that had gathered.

After a few more compressions, Atem suddenly made a strange gurgling, coughing sound and vomited up a mixture of sea water and his last meal. Without flinching, Seto turned him onto his side so that he would not choke.

:::::::::::

Yugi and Mai watched in horror. Just moments ago, Yugi had witnessed Anzu being resuscitated and now it was Atem's turn.

Weakened by his efforts to save Anzu, and from his own immersion in the cold water, Yugi was also showing signs of hypothermia. He really needed to get out of his wet clothing and start warming up, but he refused to go up to the waiting ambulance until he knew Atem was okay.

They were relieved when an emergency response doctor arrived and took over from Seto.

:::::::::::::

With the excitement over, Seto started shivering from the cold. "Where are my clothes?"

"Here, Sir!" A young, female police constable handed him his clothing. Her face flushed at the sight of his well sculpted physique.

"Thank you." Seto snatched his clothing and pulled on his shirt and trousers.

Now that his adrenalin was subsiding, he started shivering so badly with the cold, that his fingers refused to function properly and he could not do up the the buttons. "Don't just stand there admiring me!" He snapped at the young woman. "Help me?"

"Y.. yes Sir!" She gulped nervously, gingerly doing up his buttons for him. Sensing that she was flustered, he smirked victoriously.

Someone else handed him his grey trench-coat and he gladly put it on. He had not considered it a cold night until now.

"Sir! Your foot is bleeding!" The young female officer pointed out.

Seto looked down and huffed. "It's just a scratch!" It was a bit deeper than a scratch but he did not consider his scratched foot a priority.

He watched as Atem was covered with a blanket and carried on a stretcher to the waiting ambulance.

What an absolute nightmare this whole investigation had turned out to be! Three people had already died at the hands of Bakura and another three people – if you include Bakura – were now fighting for their lives.

Pegasus would no doubt weasel his way out of taking any of the flack and Seto would be the one to bear the brunt. His superiors would probably come down on him like a ton of bricks! And then there would be the media storm! Once the press got hold of it they would have a field day, with their silly assumptions and exaggerated reporting.

He might as well resign now!

::::::::::::

Yugi sat in the back of the ambulance, wrapped in a blanket, as it sped towards the nearest Accident and Emergency department in Basildon. His wet clothing was in a polythene bag on the floor of the ambulance. One of his shoes had been lost in the sea and the other was ruined. They were the shoes he had worn for their wedding and were now kept for special occasions, such as tonight's ballet. When Anzu woke up, she would be upset with him for not taking them off before running into the sea to save her.

Clutching the blanket tightly, he looked down at his feet that were now clad in a pair of thick, woolly socks that someone had given to him to wear. It had been a small act of kindness in a horrible situation and he wished he could thank whoever had given them.

He wriggled his toes inside the socks and shivered again. He was still feeling chilled but at least normal feeling was returning to his limbs.

To help his recovery, one of the ambulance crew handed him a cup of warm tea from her thermos flask and a digestive biscuit. He muttered a 'thank you.'

Across from him, Anzu lay, wrapped in specially heated blanket. She was still unconscious but was at least in a stable condition.

"How are you feeling now?" The paramedic asked him.

He nodded slowly. "A bit better." There was no energy in his voice.

"You should not need any further medical treatment. You just need to rest and get some hot food inside you."

"Will Anzu be alright?"

"Anzu's body temperature is still dangerously low, but with the correct treatment, she should make a full recovery."

"What about Atem?" He was being taken to hospital in another ambulance. Mai was with him.

"Is Atem your brother?" Because of their similarity, the paramedic automatically assumed they were related.

Yugi smiled sadly and nodded. Even if they turned out not to be brothers, he would always think of him as one.

"He suffered a near drowning, but DSI Kaiba reacted very swiftly by giving him CPR. He has a good chance of recovering fully, but until he wakes up we won't know if there are going to be any long term complications."

Yugi gasped and looked frightened. "Like what?!"

"He could develop pneumonia. There is also a possibility that his brain was starved of oxygen for too long."

Too upset to speak, Yugi shook his head and his eyes filled with tears. He hunched forward and buried his face in the blanket he was wrapped in. The paramedic responded by rubbing his shoulder. "We are doing everything possible to prevent him having any problems. Try not to worry too much, the doctors will be able to give a better prognosis once he reaches hospital."

Yugi nodded and tried to compose himself. He had to believe that everything would be alright.

::::::::::::

Seto sat on the wall while the doctor cleaned and bandaged his foot. He watched as the two ambulances containing Anzu and Yugi in one, and Atem and Mai in the other, left for Basildon Accident and Emergency. He would have liked to have gone with them but since Bakura had been taken by helicopter to a specialist trauma centre in London, he needed to go there.

Ensuring that the scene of the shoot-out was secure, he ordered for them to guard the premises until the forensic team arrived to clean up.

He got into the passenger seat of the Land Rover and asked Tony, who was driving, to take him to the hospital as fast as possible.

"Yes Sir!" Tony wasted no time and sped towards London.

The sun was now beginning to rise, but was hidden behind a cloudy grey sky that threatened rain.

The weather seemed to match Seto's mood; he felt tired, he felt angry and he needed coffee – lots of coffee!

::::::::::::

The ambulance arrived at the hospital in under fifteen minutes.

Anzu and Atem were taken to Resus and placed in adjoining treatment bays. Yugi and Mai watched on, looking lost and forlorn, while the paramedics handed their patients over to the team of doctors and nurses.

One of the nurses came over to speak to them. "Are you relatives?"

"Yes, Anzu is my wife, Atem is... my brother. What's happening?" Yugi was alarmed by the number medical staff crowded around them.

"Try not to be alarmed by what is going on, it's quite normal to have a team of staff review patients when they first arrive," she reassured him.

"Thank you." Mai introduced herself. "I am one of the police officers who attended the scene. I'm also friend and colleague of Atem."

"Is the young man a policeman?" The nurse asked.

Not wishing to explain that he was MI5, Mai nodded. "He was... the first officer at the scene."

The nurse nodded and took them into a family waiting room. "If you would like to take a seat! As soon as we have assessed their condition, we will let you see them. Is there anything I can get you?"

"Could I have some more painkillers for my throat?" Mai winced. In all the commotion, she had left her bag in the Land Rover.

"Can I have some clothes, please?" Yugi was embarrassed about walking around in just a blanket, woolly socks and his damp boxers.

"Of course. What size?" She guessed he was small.

"Not sure," he shrugged, not really caring about the size of the clothing.

His voice sounded so depressed that Mai placed her hand on his shoulder, comfortingly. Even though she was not feeling any better than Yugi was, she knew that at least one of them had to put on a brave face, and since she was supposed to be a police officer, she knew she had to stay strong and be positive – Anzu and Atem _were_ going to be okay.

"He's about five, six, a twenty eight waist, thirty six chest," Mai informed the nurse.

As soon as the nurse left to get some clothes, Yugi gave Mai a strange look. "How do you know my measurements?"

"I'm an expert on men's physiques," she winked at him and he laughed. Even if it was a rather miserable laugh, it was still a laugh. Mai was still relieved to see him cheer up a little.

Five minutes later, one of the hospital staff returned with some pain relief for Mai and some clothes from the hospital charity shop for Yugi to wear. A dark blue fleecy tracksuit was not really his style but it was warm and comfortable. He thanked the nurse and promised to make a donation to the charity shop as a thank you.

"Why are they keeping us waiting?" Yugi complained, his tension visible.

"It's quite normal," Mai reassured him. "Try not to worry. " She was doing her best to disguise her own concern.

"How can you be so calm?!"

"It's my job to stay calm."

Yugi sighed and slumped back in his chair, with his arms wrapped around himself. He needed a distraction. "Do you like Atem?" He glanced up at Mai, who looked a bit shocked.

"Of course I like him!"

"What about romantically? I know he likes you."

"Are you matchmaking? Because I'm afraid it will do no good! We don't do conventional relationships," Mai explained, firmly.

"Shame... because he wants to settle down," Yugi mumbled, with a hint of disappointment.

"Did he tell you that?!"

"No... not in so many words. I just know he does."

Mai gave a little smile. "Maybe, who knows? Perhaps when this is over we can take a holiday together. After all this shit, we deserve it."

"Yeah," Yugi nodded. "You should both come to Japan?" Making plans for the future was helping to lighten their mood.

"Did you know my father is Japanese?"

"What?! No, I would never have guessed. You don't look very Japanese!"

"That's because I take after my mother. Like her, I'm not very maternal either, which is why I avoid permanent relationships."

Their conversation was interrupted when the doctor came to see them. "Anzu is awake and asking for you. We are just doing an X-ray of her chest and you will be able to see her shortly. Atem is still unconscious. We are about to send him for a scan on his head and chest. You can see him quickly before he goes."

They stood up to go into the treatment bay, just as Atem was wheeled by.

Mai had seen him in the ambulance but Yugi had not seen him properly since he was pulled from the water and was shocked to see wires and monitors attached to him and a breathing tube in his mouth. "What's wrong with him?!" he gasped. The doctor started to explain that he had needed to be placed on a ventilator and was in an induced coma.

Mai stroked his forehead and kissed his cheek. "You had better wake up, do you hear me Atem?!" Unsurprisingly, there was no response.

Yugi leaned over him. "Hey! You have to wake up. We're still waiting for the results of the DNA test to confirm you are my big brother!" Yugi added.

He stood up and they watched as Atem was wheeled away.

As soon as he was out of sight, they went into the treatment bay to find Anzu was awake but very drowsy.

"I will give you two some time alone," Mai told him. "I will go and get us some breakfast." She made her way to the coffee shop in the foyer.

Anzu's entire body was cocooned in a heated blanked, designed to gently warm her up.

Stroking her face lightly with his fingers, Yugi kissed her forehead. "Hey!" He muttered softly.

"Yu..gi.." She smiled up at him, weakly. "Thank you... for saving me..."

At the sight of her laying there, looking so frail, Yugi's bottom lip started to tremble again. "I should have done more.. I should not have let Bakura take you..."

There was a delay in her response and she appeared to doze off again, so Yugi continued to gently stroke her face. After a minute or two she suddenly smiled and chuckled softly.

"Don't be silly! There was nothing you could have done. Did I hear Mai earlier?" She lifted her head to try and peer over his shoulder.

"She's just gone to get some breakfast. She will be back soon."

"Is Atem with you?" She had no knowledge of what had happened to him. She vaguely remembered hearing his name being called, but did not remember that he had come into the water to help save her.

When Yugi looked away for a moment and his facial muscles became tense, she was confused. "Y.. Yugi?!"

"It wasn't me who saved you, it was Atem. I couldn't free you because I didn't have a knife. He was the one who cut the ropes that Bakura used to tie you. I pulled you back to shore and didn't notice that he was not with us. If Kaiba hadn't jumped in and pulled him out, he would have drowned."

"Is he okay?!"

"I don't know... he's unconscious. They have taken him for a scan," he sniffed and wiped his face on his sleeve. Seeing him in tears made Anzu cry as well.

"If he dies, it's my fault," she muttered, sadly.

"No! You must not blame yourself. It's my fault," Yugi corrected.

"Neither of you are to blame, it is Bakura's fault," Mai told them firmly.

Yugi looked round to see her holding a cardboard tray containing three coffees. "I got an extra one, in case Anzu wanted a hot drink." She also had a bag of croissants.

The nurse confirmed that it was okay for Anzu to eat and drink – it would help her recover.

"Can you help me up?" Anzu was still very weak and her feet were throbbing. She winced when they moved her. "My feet hurt!"

The doctor examined her feet. "Your blood is starting to warm up and pump around your body more quickly again. You were in the water for quite some time. It is good that the circulation is working properly again." He did not tell her that they had been worried that the restricted circulation to her feet might have caused her to lose some toes to gangrene! Thankfully, her hypothermia did not seem as severe as they first feared and her chest x-ray was also clear. "Can you feel me touching you?"

"Ow! Yes, it feels like my feet are on fire!"

"You are developing chilblaines. We can give you some cream to ease the discomfort."

"Will I be able to dance?"

"Maybe not for a few days but you will make a full recovery."

"So it's not permanent?" Yugi asked, "My wife is a professional ballerina with the Royal Ballet! She is starring in Swan Lake."

He sounded so proud as he spoke of Anzu's career that it made Mai's heart flutter. They were in love and it was so cute.

"Ah..! Well, we will soon get you back on your points, but we will want to keep you in for observation for the next twenty four hours. " The doctor smiled, relieved that he would not have to give her bad news.

For Anzu, being kept in hospital _was_ bad news!

"You enjoy your breakfast," the nurse smiled, "We hope to get a bed for you on the ward very soon."

"I'm not sure if I can eat anything," Yugi said, taking his coffee. "Not until I know if Atem's okay."

"I know how you feel but we need to keep our strength up," Mai said.

"They're taking a long time with the scan," Yugi complained.

"I expect they have other people waiting as well. Try not to worry." As a police officer, Mai was well aware how the hospital system worked; she had spent many an hour waiting for victims of crime, and the perpetrators, to be treated.

Taking his croissant, Yugi forced down a mouthful. It tasted good and he quickly realised he was extremely hungry.

However, they all forgot about the pastries when Atem was wheeled back into the treatment bay.

::::::::::::

The moment he arrived at Saint Georges Trauma Centre, Seto hobbled straight to the kiosk and purchased a large, black Americano with an extra shot and two sugars. He then went to reception and asked about Bakura's condition. Part of him wished the man would do the world a favour and die! But the professional police officer in him needed him to live so that he could face the consequences of his crimes.

Just the recent crimes were enough to get him three life sentences: The murder of an MI5 agent, the murder of a hospital doctor and the car parking attendant, plus the attempted murders of Mai Kujaku and Anzu Mutou.

He was told that Bakura had been taken for emergency surgery and was asked to wait while a member of staff who knew about the severity of his injuries was located.

He sat in a chair to drink his coffee. While he was waiting, Pegasus arrived – just what he did not need!

"Ah, Kaiba Boy! I was told I would find you here! What a major fuck up...!"

"Just... don't start Pegasus, I am not in the mood for one of your silly lectures."

"There we go again! Jumping to conclusions! I was going to ask how the pretty young ballerina was? I heard Bakura tried to drown her but her brave husband saved her while our intrepid Atem Boy dealt with Bakura. I was hoping to hold a de-briefing but I see he is not with you."

"Hasn't anyone told you?!" Seto shot Pegasus a chastising look. "Sennen almost drowned. They took him and the Mutou girl to Basildon A and E; they are both in a serious condition. Mai is with them. Yugi Mutou is there too."

"Oh! My lord no...! Why didn't anyone tell me?!"

"Maybe they wanted to spare your delicate disposition from the gory details.."

"Sarcastic as always Kaiba Boy!"

Their bickering was interrupted when the registrar approached. "DSI Kaiba?" Seto nodded and stood. "You are waiting for information on Mister Bakura? He is still in surgery but is expected out soon. We had to remove a section of his damaged intestines and one of his kidneys. His arm may suffer some long term nerve damage but we were able to save it. He will be taken to intensive care shortly. The next few days will be crucial. There is a risk of infection and further complications from any internal bleeding that we may have missed. I'm afraid his insides were a bit of a mess."

"Thank you. Is there any point in me hanging around?"

"No, I don't think so. He's not going anywhere."

"What about Marik Ishtar? I don't want him to know that Bakura is in the same hospital as him."

"Marik Ishtar is now out of intensive care and has been taken to a ward." The doctor glanced at Pegasus. "In your absence, Mister Pegasus has organised security."

"I would suggest you go home and get some sleep Kaiba Boy!" Pegasus advised. "You look dreadful! I will look after things here. I promise to call you should Bakura's condition change."

Sighing in defeat, Seto agreed. In the last 48 hours, he had only had about four hours sleep and if he did not get home soon, he would cease to function. He would also face the wrath of his younger brother, Mokuba.

::::::::::::

Mai had never seen Atem look so small and helpless before. "The scans! What did they show?" She asked desperately.

"The consultants are just viewing his scans now. The X-ray of his chest shows that he inhaled quite a lot of seawater, and as a result his left lung has collapsed. We will be taking him up to the high dependency ward just as soon as they have a bed for him. They will decide how much and what treatment he receives once the scans to his head have been assessed."

"Can he hear us if we talk to him?" Yugi asked.

"I doubt he can," the nurse told him. "The drugs used to sedate him put him into quite a deep sleep."

Yugi nodded but tried anyway. Taking Atem's hand in his, he gently squeezed it. "Can you hear me Atem? Squeeze my hand if you can." There was no response.

Mai looked on sadly. "Come on Sennen! There's people here who love you. Maybe even I will tell you that I love you!" She desperately wanted to see that trademark smirk but his features remained blank and it made her feel so helpless. "Please yourself then! Because I probably wont say it again."

Yugi could see tears in her eyes. "He _will_ get through this Mai!" The optimism with which he said it made Mai break down and cry.

Yugi did not know what to do. He felt a little nervous about putting his arms around Mai to comfort her. She struck him as the sort who cherished her independence and might not like showing her vulnerability. She might interpret his compassion as an insult and slap him.

He looked at Anzu and pleaded for advice.

" _Comfort her, you dummy!" Anzu_ mouthed.

Tentatively, he put his arms around her. "It... It's okay Mai." Nervously, he patted her back. To his surprise she hugged him back and started sobbing on his shoulder.

Yugi squeezed his eyes shut to stop his own tears from falling.

He could not lose his brother a second time.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Please review.**


	16. Chapter 16

Sorry the chapter is a bit late. When I read my original draft, it was awful, so I scrapped it completely and have re-written it. However, I could not convey what I was trying to get across and suffered total block! Argggh! It was frustrating. But here is the chapter. It is one of those in-between the final action and the ending chapters so I hope it is okay.

Thank you Guest reviewer. I could not reply to your review online but I promise that I will never abandon a story. However tough it is to write, I will always finish it.

P.S. I don't own Yugioh. If I did, there would be more romance!

* * *

Dance With The Devil

Chapter 15.

Seto stood in the doorway and watched as Bakura was placed in a secure side room. There were tubes and IV lines sticking out of his body, while monitors beeped steadily, showing that his vital signs were stable.

An armed guard was stationed outside his room and another in the corridor. Seto wondered if that might be over-kill, because it was clear from Bakura's condition that the man was not going anywhere! However, given his ability as an escapologist, nothing could be left to chance.

The doctor finished explaining to Seto that they had done all they could for now and that the next twenty four hours would be crucial. If Bakura survived, he would need further surgery to his intestines so that he did not spend the rest of his life with a colostomy bag.

Seto nodded wearily. He could not care less if Bakura spent the rest of his life shitting into a bag – it would serve him right! Just as long as he survived long enough to face the charges against him.

Satisfied that Pegasus seemed to have everything organized, Seto left the hospital. He really needed to sleep, but sleep would have to wait a while longer; he still had some phone calls to make and some loose ends to tie up.

He got into the waiting car and went back to New Scotland Yard.

::::::::::::

When Mana arrived at work and heard that Atem had shot Bakura, she was horrified! Atem had been working towards capturing the man for months but she had never imagined it might have ended like this! Was Atem okay?

Her colleague, Martin did not know. Whilst he had been the Forensic Pathologist on call and had been called out to attend the murder of the parking attendant, his knowledge was sketchy about what had happened on Canvey Island. "All I know, is that Bakura injured Mai Kujaku and kidnapped one of the dancers. He killed the unfortunate parking guy for getting in his way, before stealing a car and escaping. Atem Sennen must have tracked him to Canvey Island and tried to free the girl, because Bakura is now in hospital with gunshot wounds. I don't know anything else.. sorry!" He knew that Mana liked Atem.

"Is Mai Kujaku okay?" Mana did not know her very well, but knew of her because she was a rival for Atem's affections!

"Bakura tried to strangle her, but I heard she is fine, just bruised. Atem, and a guy that I think was his brother, were just leaving to go and see her at the hospital when I arrived."

"But if Atem went to the hospital to see her, how did he find Bakura?! Surely they wouldn't have let him go alone!" Mana was confused.

"The police aren't releasing any details yet! Mahado has gone to Canvey island to lead the forensic investigation. Several shots were fired and they need him to establish that Bakura fired his weapon first. He should be able to tell us more when he gets back."

"Of course Bakura fired first! Atem would never shoot anyone unless he had no other alternative!" She snapped, defensively.

"Hey! It's okay Mana!" He placed a comforting arm around her. "You and I both know Atem only fired in self defence, but there is always an inquiry after a shooting involving the police. We have to follow procedures!"

"Yeah, you're right, I'm just overreacting because Atem is a friend. Do you know where he is now? I should call him and make sure he's alright."

Her call went straight to his voicemail.

::::::::::::

It was mid morning by the time the hospital had found beds for Anzu and Atem on their respective wards.

Since it was outside visiting hours, Yugi and Mai were not allowed to go up to the ward with them. They were left with no other alternative but to go home.

They watched sadly as Atem was the first to be wheeled into the elevator. The doors closed, leaving them feeling tired and forlorn.

"You go and say goodbye to Anzu," Mai suggested. "I need to ring Seto for an update and to tell him we're just leaving."

Yugi nodded. "How are we getting home?"

"Hopefully, in Atem's car!" Mai delved into her bag and pulled out Atem's keys. Before leaving the beach, she had gathered up his discarded jacket, shoes and belt. The jacket had Bakura's blood on it so she had put it in the bag with his wet clothing, but had removed his phone and keys from the pockets, first. To preserve the almost flat battery, she had turned his phone off. "I'm hoping that we can collect his car and take it back to his flat for him. While we are there, I thought we could also pack some clothes for him and bring them to the hospital, for when he wakes up!"

"Yes! That is a good idea," Yugi said enthusiastically. "We went out in a hurry last night and I left my suit jacket, shirt, wallet and phone there! I can collect them while we are there."

Mai nodded and went to make her call to Seto, leaving Yugi to say goodbye to Anzu.

The only clothing Anzu had been wearing was her costume, which had been torn to shreds and ruined. The nurses had given her a gown to wear, which she was not particularly keen on. "I wish they could find me something a bit more flattering!"

"It's only for one night. And I think you look beautiful in whatever you wear!" Yugi lovingly told her.

"I must look terrible! I bet my make-up is all smudged and the seawater has ruined my hair!" She pouted, tugging at a clump of hair that had fallen from what was left of the neat bun her hair had been tied into for the show. "I wish I could go home! I don't even know why I have to stay here!"

"It's only for one night! The doctors want to keep an eye on you. Maybe they will let you shower when you get onto the ward," he leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "What would you like me to bring you when we come back tomorrow morning?" Thoughts of choosing her underwear came to mind and he could not resist giving her a cheeky little smile.

She knew him far too well and rolled her eyes at him. "I had a bag containing some toiletries, a change of clothes and also my phone at the Opera House. Can you check with Christina that she brought it home? If she did, then bring that, okay? And stop thinking about lacy undies because I didn't bring any to England with me!"

"I wasn't!" He pouted unconvincingly. He was relived to see her smiling. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Can you see if you can get me a toothbrush before you leave? It would be nice if I could clean my teeth."

"They probably sell them in the shop but I left my wallet in the pocket of my suit jacket, which is still in Atem's flat."

"Well, that's not much help!" She prodded him playfully.

Just then, the porter arrived to move Anzu to the ward. Yugi kissed her quickly and watched as her trolley bed was wheeled through a set of double doors and disappeared from his view.

Sighing, he picked up the bags containing his and Atem's soggy clothing and went to find Mai.

It turned out Atem's car had already been towed back to New Scotland Yard. "Seto told me to take a taxi and put it on expenses. Bakura is touch and go, but knowing that snake, he will survive. Seto wants me to get a statement from you, as soon as possible," she said.

"A statement?!" Yugi looked a little alarmed.

"It's for the inquiry into the shooting, and it will also help to convict Bakura."

"Inquiry?! We are not in trouble are we?!"

"No of course not! But whenever the police are forced to shoot a suspect, there is always an inquiry into what happened. Providing Atem did not shoot him in cold blood – which we know he didn't – he will not face any charges."

Yugi shook his head in amazement at the thought that Atem might be investigated for shooting Bakura. "Atem didn't have any choice! Bakura started shooting at us!"

"Lets not talk about it here! I will take your statement once we get to Atem's flat. It shouldn't take long. I can send it off to Seto and hopefully he will not insist I go into the office. I really need to go home and get some rest!"

::::::::::::

Mai paid the taxi and made sure she got a receipt for her expenses claim.

It felt strange to let themselves into his flat without him being there and it made Yugi feel sad.

"I will put the kettle on first and then take your statement," she told him.

Yugi nodded and went into the guest room to retrieve his things. He had quite a few missed calls! It seemed that Anzu's kidnapping had already been made the news and his friends and family were very worried. His phone battery was getting too low for him to be able to reply to all of them but he sent a couple of messages to say that Anzu was fine and that they should not worry. He asked them to pass it on to everyone who wanted to know.

"Here's your tea!" Mai told him. "If you're ready, we can start." She started the recording and prompted him with an open question. He nodded and started to explain the events from the time Atem received the first message from Bakura to the moment he ran to help Anzu. He remembered the bullets whizzing past him and hearing several shots being fired. When he came to the part where he had spotted Anzu in the water and waded in to help her, he started to crumble. "I couldn't help her! Atem...!" He sniffed.

"I know," Mai said, soothingly. "You can stop there, I know the rest..."

They both sat in contemplative silence for a few moments while sipping their tea.

Yugi's thoughts turned to the DNA test. Would they get the results today? It would be nice to have them back for when Atem woke up. Unfortunately, the laboratory was off limits to civilians and he was not sure how to get in touch with Mana. He wondered if Mai might be able to help.

"Did Atem tell you that we took a DNA test?"

"He did mention it. He recently told me that he is keen to find his real family."

"We are waiting for the results to confirm if we really are brothers. Mana is Atem's friend and is doing the test as a favour, but I don't know how to contact her and wondered if you could help?"

Mai almost snarled at the mention of her potential rival, Mana – since when did she become the jealous sort?! She kept her composure and was pretty sure that Yugi was not paying enough attention to notice. "Yes, I am happy to chase it up for you! How certain are you about being brothers?"

"Almost 100 percent! I have not told him why I am positive he is my brother as it is not a happy story."

"You can talk to me if you want! I won't say anything but I know him pretty well and I think he would want to know the truth."

"Yeah... I think he will. But the truth has haunted my family for years. It has been hard on my parents and I am not sure how they will react when they find out their eldest son is alive."

"So they don't know about Atem yet?"

"Not yet! Only my grandfather knows. It was Grandpa who told me what really happened." Yugi started telling her about the time his family lived and worked in Egypt, and how they had visited the tomb and returned to find their housekeeper murdered and the infant Atem missing. "They expected child smugglers but there were no leads and the Egyptian police were hopeless. Eventually, a little body was found. My parents were told that it was Atem and accepted it; they did not suspect a lie! The remains were flown home to Japan and buried in a small plot, dedicated to deceased children."

Mai nodded sympathetically. "I understand your dilemma, but if the test confirms he is your brother, you will have to tell him what really happened."

"I know..." Yugi muttered quietly, finishing the rest of his tea.

::::::::::::

Finding a sports bag in the wardrobe, Yugi looked on the hangers and pulled out a pair of black jeans. _These should be okay,_ he thought. Looking at the choice of button up shirts, he was not too sure on what to choose. "Which shirt do you think will go with black jeans?" He called out to Mai, who had mailed Yugi's statement to Seto kaiba and was now rinsing the mugs and teapot.

"A plain tee-shirt will do," she called back. "And don't forget underpants and socks! I will go and grab his toothbrush. He will definitely want to brush his teeth when he wakes up as he's obsessed about keeping his teeth clean!" She chuckled to herself, putting the mugs back in the cupboard.

Yugi smiled at the thought of him having an obsession and pulled open a couple of drawers until he found the one containing underwear.

If it had felt weird entering his flat without him being there, it felt even stranger to be rummaging through his drawers to find clothing. It made Yugi feel like some sort of perverted underwear thief.

He quickly grabbed a pair of Calvin Kline's and stuffed them into the bag, along with some plain socks a white tee-shirt and a sweat top. He also remembered to pack a pair of pyjamas.

Making sure she had set the alarm, Mai locked up and they headed down to the nearest underground train station.

Reaching a point in the journey where they both went their separate ways, they said goodbye and they promised to let each other know the moment either of them heard any news from the hospital.

::::::::::::

Yugi was exhausted by the time he arrived back in Wimbledon. Christina confirmed that she had brought Anzu's bag home and had placed it in their room.

Reflecting sadly, on what had happened, she made him some late lunch.

Thanking her, Yugi ate in relative silence. He did not really have the energy left to talk.

Christina very kindly offered to wash his soggy clothing.

"Are you sure you don't mind. I have Atem's stuff here too," he answered, pulling things out of the bag. I think his jacket got Bakura's blood on it!" He scrunched his face up in repulsion.

"It is okay, I will soak it first! You go and get some rest, you look drained."

"Thank you." He stood up and bowed politely before going upstairs.

The room felt lonely without Anzu there with him and he could not wait for tomorrow, when she would come home.

He pulled off the fleecy tracksuit and went into the bathroom. It felt good to stand underneath a warm shower and wash all that sea water out of his hair.

After showering, he brushed his teeth and dried himself. He put his pyjamas on with the intention of getting some sleep, but was unsure if he would be able to relax.

Pulling her nightdress out from underneath her pillow, he held it against his face and breathed in her scent. It was several moments before he realised that he was crying and had buried his face in her nightdress, soaking it in his tears. Oops! He had better get a clean one out of her drawer for when she came home.

Placing her toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste in the side pocket of her bag, he left it by the door, ready for tomorrow. He then curled up on the bed.

He was so exhausted that it was not long before he was asleep.

::::::::::::

When Mai arrived home, she ran herself a nice hot bath. While the bath was running, she looked into the mirror and examined the bruising on her throat and neck, where Bakura had tried to strangle her. It was still painful to touch and there were nasty finger marks where he had squeezed her windpipe.

Having seen two of his previous victims, she realised how lucky she had been. It sent shivers down her spine and she noticed that her hands were trembling.

"Get a grip Mai," she hissed. She could not afford to let herself break down now.

* * *

 **That's all for now folks! I can't promise that the final chapter will be posted on time, but I will get it done as quickly as possible.**

 **Thank you for reading and please review.**


	17. Chapter 17

Thank you to my guest reviewer. I couldn't reply online as the system doesn't allow it, so I will reply here. The good news is that I think this might go on for another couple of chapters as there are still a few things to tie up that perhaps should not be condensed into one chapter. I don't know about a 'cat fight' but there might be a little heartbreak for one or maybe both women. Atem could be a changed man when he wakes up and decide on a new life! There will be an epilogue.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

* * *

Dance With The Devil

Chapter 16.

After sleeping for most of the afternoon, Yugi woke up for the evening meal and then went back to bed. He was exhausted, both physically and mentally and slept soundly. The following morning, he woke early, feeling more energised.

He was keen to get back to the hospital to see Anzu. He was also desperate to know how Atem had been doing overnight.

Yesterday, the staff at the hospital had given him a number to call that would take him straight through to the high dependency ward. The department was open twenty four hours a day so he figured it was probably okay to ring them at six in the morning.

The phone was answered by an Irish nurse, who despite nearing the end of her night shift, still sounded cheery. Her friendly tone did nothing to calm Yugi's sense of worry.

"I am ringing about Atem Sennen. I wondered... how is he?" Yugi tentatively enquired.

"Are you a relative?" The nurse asked, getting up from her chair to walk over to Atem's bed. She had been told to be wary of anyone who might ring and start asking questions about her patient – they could be from the media.

"Yes, I am Yugi, his _brother_ ," he said with certainty. The way the word 'brother' sounded as it rolled off his tongue, gave him a warm glow.

"Ah, well in that case Yugi, he has been no trouble at all." She smiled down at the sleeping man in her care and checked he was comfortable. He appeared relaxed and his vital signs showed that his condition was stable. "We haven't heard a peep out of you all night now, have we my lovely?" Of course, there was no response from him, but the nurses always talked to the patients in their care.

On the other end of the line, Yugi did not really understand what she was saying but was far too polite to ask who she was talking to. Instead, he graciously thanked her.

"That's okay my dear! Will you or any family members be coming to see him today?"

Yugi confirmed that he would be coming to the hospital this morning because his wife was on another ward and was waiting for him to come and collect her. The nurse explained the hospital's official visiting hours were not until the afternoon, but said that the intensive care and high dependency wards had a slightly more flexible approach to visiting. She then went on to explain that Atem's blood pressure and oxygen levels had improved overnight, and if the doctor was happy with his response to being taken off life support, they might withdraw the medication keeping him asleep. "It would be nice if You could be here when he wakes up!" The nurse finished.

He thanked her, assuring her that he would be there as soon as he could and they ended the call.

After speaking to the nurse, Yugi was feeling positive. It sounded like Atem was making a good recovery and Yugi hoped that when he woke up, he would have some good news for him about them being blood brothers.

With his mood uplifted, he shaved, brushed his teeth and then took a very quick shower, before going downstairs to have breakfast with the Feltham's.

::::::::::::

As soon as he had finished his breakfast, he rang Mai – she should be awake by now.

She was already up and sounded very relieved to hear the news that Atem was doing well. "I'm just about to go into the office," she told him. "Can you meet me there at.. say, nine thirty? Come to the main reception desk and ask for me. I will speak to Mana about the results of your test as soon as I get to work."

"Cool.. thanks," Yugi answered. "Do you know how we will get to the hospital? Patrick told me the traffic can be bad getting out of London at this time of day."

"Don't worry about that," Mai told him. "I will get us there."

He wondered how? Perhaps the police had ways of avoiding traffic jams!

::::::::::::

Arriving at New Scotland Yard, Mai went up to her department. She was warned that Seto was in a foul mood and that everyone was trying to keep out of his way.

Unfortunately, Mai was not lucky enough to have the option of keeping out of his way because she needed to talk to him.

Armed with a mug of strong black coffee for him as an offering, she banged on his office door and walked in.

She was surprised to see Pegasus sitting in the chair that she usually occupied. "Oh! Hello Pegasus!"

"Ahh, the gorgeous Mai Sweet Valentine. How is your voice this morning?"

"A little better, thank you. I came to tell Seto that Atem's condition has improved. Yugi said they might wake him up today. I was going to suggest that I go back to visit him this morning?" Smiling at him warmly, she placed the mug of coffee in front of Seto.

"Thank you Mai," Seto responded tersely. "But I am afraid that is not possible today. There is a lot of evidence to sort through and I don't want any of the scum we have arrested to walk free because of some cock up over evidence." Mai felt a little deflated.

"I mailed Yugi's statement to you. Did you get it?"

"Yes, I did. It's not Bakura's conviction I am worried about, it's Ishtar. Apparently, Ishtar has hired Siegfried Von Schroeder as his lawyer and we all know what a snake that guy is! I have just had notification from the courts that he is demanding the initial case for prosecution is brought forward to this afternoon, and the court has agreed. No doubt this is a tactical move in order to catch us unprepared. He probably thinks that with what happened last night, we will not be on our 'A' game. I have just spoken with him and told him what I think of his behaviour. He told me that he plans to get Ishtar released on bail. If that happens, we will all have to watch our backs – especially Sennen's."

"I am here because that idiot lawyer has also told Marik Ishtar that his boyfriend was shot and critically wounded by Atem," Pegasus interjected, explaining further. "Last night, Bakura's condition took a turn for the worse. They had to rush him back into surgery and are not very optimistic about his chances. Ishtar is demanding that we let him visit him and will no doubt, wish to seek revenge."

"Why didn't you let me know about this last night?!" Mai was a little annoyed at being kept in the dark.

"Because Pegasus and I decided to let you get a good night sleep so that at least one of us is up to the task we face. I want you to prepare all the evidence against Ishtar and attend the hearing. I want that scum moved to a secure facility, not let back out on the streets to seek revenge for his fuck buddy!"

"But what about Atem?! I promised Yugi that I would go back to the hospital with him!"

"I am sure Mutou is quite capable of finding his way to the hospital on his own," Seto snorted.

"I am Planning to visit Atem and I am more than happy to escort Yugi Boy to the hospital," Pegasus chimed.

Mai sagged and let out a sigh. "Very well. What time is the hearing?"

"Two fifteen so you had better be ready. I will hold a briefing before you leave," Seto told her.

Mai studied the sour look on Seto's face. She shook her head at the sight of the heavy, dark circles that surrounded his eyes. "May I suggest you go home get some sleep instead! You have no need to worry about the hearing; I have all the evidence I need. Sergeant Devlin has been compiling the evidence on Ishtar for me and nothing gets past her."

Seto opened his mouth to grumble at her but stopped, and instead, took a deep breath and nodded. For once, he had to concede that Mai was probably right - he felt that his judgement was on the verge of becoming impaired.

He was also due at a press conference later. The media had been full of speculation and he needed to explain to them exactly what had happened last night, and update them on the current condition of all those involved in the kidnapping and shooting.

He ran his hand over his tired face and scratched at the itchy stubble that had grown over the last twenty or so hours since he last shaved. There was no way he wanted to turn up wearing a crumpled, suit, dirty shirt and with a face that made him look like a vagrant!

::::::::::::

Yugi was disappointed that Mai would not be coming to the hospital with him. He knew little about the geography of London and the surrounding areas and had no idea how to get to the hospital on his own.

"Don't worry. Pegasus is going to take you," she told him.

"Okay," Yugi nodded, trying to look pleased. But if he was honest, the eccentric man in the burgundy suit, with long blonde hair and a gold eye patch, gave him the creeps! The thought of sitting in a car with him freaked him out somewhat.

"Don't look so worried Yugi! Pegasus is not that creepy! A crazy eccentric maybe, but he's not going to molest you in the back seat! If that's what you're worried about?" she winked.

"What?! Yugi as horrified. "I wasn't thinking that!" His face went red, making Mai laugh.

"If you wait there, I have told Mana you are here and she is just on her way over from the forensic lab. Pegasus is just finishing his meeting with Seto and will be about ten minutes." She reluctatly guided Yugi to a seat, leaving him sitting, waiting on his own.

Five minutes later, Mana appeared. In her hand, was an envelope which Yugi guessed contained the results of the DNA test.

He stood to greet her, bowing politely.

Mana hurried over to him, anxiety clearly showing on her pretty face. "Have you any news of Atem?"

"Oh! Yes, he is doing well. I am going to see him shortly. Is that...?" He pointed to the envelope.

"Yes! Do you want to know the result now?"

Yugi had thought about it beforehand and had made the decision that he would not ask for the results. He wanted Atem to be awake so that they could find out if they were brothers, together. "No! I mean, I do! But not until Atem is awake. I would like us to find out together."

"Aw, that's nice," Mana smiled sweetly. "I know he would do the same if it was the other way around." She handed him the envelope. "I won't tell you then!" She giggled infectiously. Yugi could not help but chuckle too.

"Would you like me to let you know when he wakes up?" He enquired.

"Yes please..." Mana nodded. "Here, take this card." She gave him a business card that had both the office and mobile numbers. "If you could use my mobile rather than the office."

Nodding that he would, he carefully folded the envelope and placed it, with the business card, in the pocket inside his jacket.

::::::::::::

Pegasus lead Yugi outside to where his driver was waiting in his silver blue, Rolls Royce. Yugi had never ridden in a Roller before and was impressed. The inside smelled of fresh leather and Pegasus' cologne, which made Yugi sneeze.

"Bless you Yugi Boy!" Pegasus sang, making Yugi cringe and blush.

If the traffic was heavy, Yugi did not notice, because the driver used the bus and taxi lanes to avoid the queues. They were soon out of London and on the motorway.

Pegasus was very talkative and wanted to know all about Yugi's relationship to Atem. Yugi did not want him knowing anything and just said that they were hoping to do tests to find out if they were brothers.

Yugi felt a little more comfortable when Pegasus switched to asking about Anzu's career as a dancer. He liked talking about Anzu.

In no time at all, the car pulled up outside the hospital and they went inside.

"I do not wish to intrude on you and your lovely wife, so I will go into the coffee shop and wait for you there. We can then go up and see Atem together." Yugi was grateful to Pegasus for giving him space and thanked him. Maybe Pegasus was not so creepy after all.

::::::::::::

After getting a little lost, Yugi finally found the ward that Anzu was on.

The staff on the reception desk were busy when he approached and ignored him. "Erm.. excuse me?" The nurse looked up at him.

"Visiting hours are not until three o'clock," she told him, rather sharply.

However intimidated he felt by her brisk manner, he did not let it show and persisted.

"I er... am here for Anzu Mutou. I am her husband. She is allowed home this morning and I have clothing for her." He flashed her a rather charming smile and held up the pink sports bag.

"Ah! Yes! I am sorry Mister Mutou, I didn't realise. Anzu is waiting for you. I am afraid I cannot let you on the ward while the doctor is doing his rounds, so if you would like to take a seat, I will take the bag to her for you. I just need to get the doctor to sign her release papers and she is free to go!"

Thanking her, Yugi handed her the pink sports bag.

"What about the other bag?" The nurse pointed to the navy blue bag he had in his other hand.

"Oh! This one is for my brother. He's on a different ward."

The nurse nodded and showed him to where half a dozen plastic chairs were lined up against the wall, next to a couple of wheel chairs and an IV stand. When he sat down, he noticed that the stand was leaning over to one side because it was missing one of its small wheels.

He waiting in the corridor for what seemed like an age, during which time, a junior nurse came and took one of the wheelchairs.

A few minutes later, the same nurse reappeared with Anzu sitting in the wheelchair.

Yugi stood up, slightly alarmed to see that she was not able to walk. "Anzu!"

Spotting the concern on his face, Anzu was quick to allay his fears. "I'm fine Yugi! It's just really painful to walk with these chilblains. I couldn't get my shoes on!" He gazed down at her feet, that were clad in a pair of thin white cotton socks.

"Are we able to go and see Atem?!" Anzu added.

Yugi moved his gaze back up to her face, "Yes," he nodded. "Can you keep the chair?"

"Only while we're at the hospital. I will be okay getting in and out of the car." She suddenly wondered where Mai was. "Is Mai with you?"

"No, she had to work. I came here with Pegasus... in his Rolls Royce!" Yugi made a point of mentioning the car.

"So I get to go home in style?!" Anzu asked, teasingly.

"You do," he smiled. "Only the best for my beautiful ballerina wife," he teased, pushing the wheelchair towards the elevator.

Anzu swivelled round in her chair, to give one last wave of thanks to the nurses who had been looking after her.

They reached the elevators and Yugi pressed the call button.

While waiting for the lift to arrive Anzu sighed and looked up at Yugi. "What happened last night has kind of spoilt everything. All I want to do now is go back to Japan."

"I know," he replied softly, reaching down to touch her shoulder. "But you are safe now. You must never give up on your dream."

She placed her hand over his hand. "Right now, I don't know if it's my dream anymore," she said, sadly.

The doors opened and they entered the lift. Yugi pushed the button to take them two floors down, to the ward Atem was on. "You must not let Bakura destroy your dream," he told her. "You have wanted to be a ballerina since you were four. If you give up now, that bastard wins!"

"Yeah, you're right! I know I shouldn't let Bakura ruin my life, I am sure I will feel better in a day or two." She sounded a little more like her usual self, which was a relief to Yugi.

They got out of the lift and Yugi pushed Anzu along the corridor until they reached a reception desk.

Yugi had no idea where Atem was so he stopped to ask and was told that they were on the right floor but in the wrong place.

Eventually, they found the small ward where Atem was being looked after. As they approached the desk, Yugi was a little dismayed to see that Pegasus was already there and was standing talking to a doctor and a nurse.

"Ah! Yugi Boy and his Beautiful ballerina wife! I'm afraid I was a little impatient and didn't wait for you."

"That's okay Pegasus," Yugi replied. He did not tell Pegasus that he had not bothered to go down to the coffee shop to meet him.

"How is Atem?" Yugi asked the staff, anxiously.

"You are just in time. The doctor will be reviewing Atem very shortly," the nurse told him.

"Can we go and see in and see him?"

"We would usually request that no more than two of you go in at a time. Our patients are very sick and too many people crowding around, all talking at once, can cause them stress. We also try to keep it to family only. Are you all family?" The staff nurse looked between the tree of them. It was obvious to her that the young man with tri-coloured hair was closely related, by his almost identical appearance to her patient.

"We are family," Yugi told her. "I am his brother, Yugi, and this is my wife Anzu."

"And I am a close friend, as well as his employer. I have a duty of care towards young Atem's well being," Pegasus stated.

"Are you happy to allow Mister Crawford in to see you brother?" The staff nurse asked Yugi.

"Yes, I am happy," Yugi answered.

"Thank you Yugi Boy. I will not be too intrusive," Pegasus said, graciously.

Having been warned to be quiet, the trio were allowed in together. Pegasus offered to push Anzu's wheelchair so that Yugi could approach Atem first.

There were six beds in total, all of which were occupied by patients that needed constant monitoring. The corner of Yugi's mouth twitched upwards, into a sad smile when he spotted Atem in the bed furthest from him.

Reaching the bed, Yugi studied him laying there. The tube was still in his mouth and was hooked up to the machine that was breathing for him.

"We will be taking him off the respirator in a little while. Would you like to stay while we wake him up?" The nurse said. "Only it is nice for patients to wake up to see a familiar face. But I have to warn you, they can sometimes get a little distressed."

"Okay," Yugi nodded, a little unsure what she meant by 'distressed'. "Would it be alright if my wife stays too? She is family."

"Of course...," the nurse responded.

Yugi leaned on the edge of the bed and took one of Atem's hands. "Hey! I have the results in my pocket. I haven't looked at them yet because I wanted us to do it together," he said quietly, to Atem. It felt strange talking to him and not receiving an answer.

Anzu appeared at his side, with Pegasus standing – quietly for once – behind her.

Seated in the wheelchair, Anzu's position was too low to really see properly, so she carefully pushed herself to stand, wincing at the pain in her feet. Yugi shifted his position so that Anzu could lean her wight on him and get closer to Atem.

"Hello Atem," she whispered. "It's me.. Anzu. Yugi told me what you did and words can't express how grateful I am. Both you and Yugi were so kind and thoughtful to come and rescue me, and then save me from drowning." She gently stroked his face, from just above his eyebrow to his jaw. Not a single muscle moved or twitched in response. Apart from where light stubble was starting to appear along his jawline and upper lip, his face was soft and clean.

The sea had been a little soupy, where weed and plankton had been churned up from the seabed. When it dried, it had left Anzu's skin covered in a layer of salty brown dust, while her hair had felt dry and matted. It had been a relief when the nurses had helped her to get into the shower so that she could wash it all off. And it was nice that the nurses on this ward were taking very good care of Atem, because he had been washed.

It made Anzu smile warmly. He would feel so much better when he woke up feeling clean – she had felt like crap when she had woken up feeling like something old and leathery, that had been washed in with the tide! "Atem! Please wake up so I can say thank you properly!" Tears filled her eyes and she quickly wiped them with her sleeve before they could drip onto the clean, white pillow.

Seeing her emotional reaction, Yugi wrapped his arms around her. "Hey! It's gonna be okay." She looked up at him and he kissed her gently. "There was no way we would have left you to Bakura's mercy. I was going to stay with you in the sea. Atem would never let anything bad happen to either of us so he risked his own life to free you. He is a hero."

Anzu nodded. "Did you hear that Atem? You are our hero," she whispered.

The consultant, a junior doctor and a nurse approached them. It was time to take him off the ventilator and try to wake him up.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed.**

 **Please review.**


	18. Chapter 18

I am back to my Friday updates. I have to admit, I got a little bit stuck with the last couple of chapters but I think I have sorted out the mess now and a bit of re-writing has ensured that there will be a maximum of two more chapters after this.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh

* * *

Dance With The Devil

Chapter 17.

The consultant introduced himself as Ben Sheppard. "I believe you have already met senior staff nurse Vivian Wong and junior doctor Leon Wilson?"

Yugi recognised them as the same two staff members that had been talking to Pegasus when he and Anzu arrived. "Yes, sort of," he nodded. "Atem will be alright, won't he?"

"Try not to worry, we are taking good care of your brother. It might help him with his recovery if you are here when he wakes up."

Yugi liked the way everyone assumed he and Atem were brothers. "Can Anzu stay too?"

"Of course! But I would ask that no more than two of you stay as it can get a little overcrowded."

"Since everyone assumes Yugi boy is his brother, I will wait outside!" Pegasus winked at Yugi with his good eye. Yugi did not respond but felt a bit insulted. Anzu reached for his hand.

"Ignore his sarcasm Yugi."

The doctor was confused but did not say anything. He had a job to do and always found it best not to involve himself in family conflicts. "If you would like to position yourself on his right hand side," he told Yugi. The machines and drip were positioned on the left side and the drip went into his left hand. The doctor needed access to these and did not want Yugi in the way.

Yugi did as he was told, while Anzu sat behind him in her wheelchair. "Hold his hand Yugi," Anzu suggested.

"Is it okay if I hold his hand?" Yugi asked.

"Yes, go ahead," Vivian was positioned by Atem's head, on the opposite side of the bed and was just checking his blood pressure readings.

The doctor explained to Yugi and Anzu, that since Atem had only been kept sedated for a short time, he would probably wake up relatively quickly. However, he also warned them that he may be confused and agitated, possibly even aggressive.

"Ready?" Ben asked nurse Vivian. She nodded that she was.

The doctor turned off the drip that was administering the drug keeping Atem sedated.

Nothing happened for a few minutes. His heart rate and breathing remained steady.

"Atem? Can you hear me?" Vivian shook his shoulder and called softly into his ear.

Lifting his eyelids, the doctor shone his torch into his eyes, looking for a response. His heart rate suddenly increased slightly.

Yugi held Atem's hand gently but firmly with one hand and rubbed his forearm with the other, and when the doctor shone his light into Atem's eyes, he suddenly felt Atem's fingers twitch and then grip his hand tightly. "I think he is waking up!"

The doctor nodded and started to remove the breathing tube from Atem's mouth. Atem brought his other hand up – the hand that was bandaged and also had the IV line inserted into the back of it. He started to gag and tried to grab the tube that was being removed.

"It's okay Atem! Try to relax, don't fight!" The nurse held his head still as the doctor quickly removed the tube.

"It is okay Atem! We have just removed your breathing tube. You can wake up now!" Ben said, soothingly.

Atem made a spluttering, groaning noise and Yugi could see him tense up. His grip tightened further, almost crushing Yugi's hand.

Atem brought his knees up towards his chest and tried to lash out but he was still very weak and Leon held him down to stop him from pulling his IV line out.

Behind Yugi, Anzu sat in her wheelchair and gasped. "What's happening?!" She cried.

"It's okay Atem! Try to relax," Vivian said, assertively but calmly.

"Try talking to him Yugi!" Ben told him.

Yugi was worried and a little unnerved but did as he was asked. "Hey! Atem, it's me... Yugi! Can you hear me?"

Atem's eyelids fluttered and he made another, rather feeble sounding, groaning noise, before turning his head towards Yugi. The vice-like grip he had on Yugi's hand relaxed and his heart rate settled down.

Yugi let go of Atem's hand so that he could get some circulation back into his fingers but Atem whimpered and reached out for him.

"It's okay! I'm still here!" Yugi quickly took hold of his hand again and leaned forward to peer into Atem's bewildered face.

Atem blinked a few times and tried to open his eyes but shut them again. A few seconds later he opened them again.

At first, all Yugi could see was a look of fear and confusion. But as Atem's eyes met his, the look of confusion slowly changed to relief and recognition.

Yugi smiled. "How are you feeling?" He had no idea what else to say.

A lopsided small smile graced Atem's features as he opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

::::::::::::

The first thing Atem was aware of was the discomfort and this caused him to panic. Was he having a nightmare?!

The sensation of water filling his lungs!

Suffocation!

He was suddenly convinced that someone was trying to force something down his throat! Or were they trying to rip out his windpipe?! He was unsure.

One moment he was in pitch darkness, the next he was being blinded by a bright light.

Distant and distorted voices, that he did not recognise. They must be talking to him because he heard his name. What did they want?

He had to stop them hurting him.

Someone was gripping one of his hands and refused to let go. He tried to use the other hand to fight with, but it hurt him to use it.

Someone was holding his head and telling him to relax. How could he possibly relax when they were hurting him?!

All of a sudden, a familiar voice cut through the confusion and fear. It was Yugi. Had Yugi come to save him?

The person holding his hand was not a threat after all! The person was trying to reassure him. Why was he trying to crush the hand of someone who was trying to reassure him?

He eased his grip and felt the hand relax slightly and let go.

 _No! Don't let go!_ He tried to scream but the words were stuck somewhere between his mind and his vocal chords. He reached out, desperately searching for Yugi's hand. Soothing words were spoken and the hand returned.

Yugi's familiar star shaped profile leaned closer to him. Atem tried to focus on Yugi's features but could only make out a blurred image. He scrunched his eyes closed and re-opened them again.

Slowly, his vision became clearer and he was able to see Yugi's face. Yugi looked worried. Atem attempted to smile at him to try and reassure him but the connections between mind and facial muscles felt out of sync.

He tried to speak but his throat hurt and his jaw ached, while his brain still refused to connect with his vocal chords.

Yugi was talking to him again, and this time his words sounded clear, rather than echoing through a long tunnel. "Don't try to talk yet. You are in the hospital. You have been asleep for twenty four hours. The doctors just woke you up."

It made no sense! Why would he sleep for that long? Atem tried to nod but his head was pounding. "Y.. Yugi..." he rasped. "Th... thirsty..."

"Would you like a drink of water, Atem?" A female voice said.

"P.. please..." He felt someone gently lift his head slightly and a cup was placed to his lips. The cool water was soothing to his parched throat.

He was slowly starting to regain some co-ordination and a sense of his surroundings.

"Where am I?" Atem finished taking his sips of water and gazed down at himself.

"You are in hospital," Yugi told him. "Anzu is here too. Do you remember? We were in the sea. Bakura tied Anzu up and you cut the ropes to free her!"

"What ropes?" Atem looked confused. He brought his hands up to his face. "What happened to my hand?" He winced at the discomfort the wound to his left hand caused him and frowned at the dressing covering it.

"You used a knife to cut the ropes and stabbed yourself in the hand," Yugi explained.

"How stupid!" Atem tried to laugh. "Why was I cutting rope?"

Yugi looked at the medical staff with concern. "Why doesn't he remember anything?" He was worried that it might be brain damage.

"It is quite normal for people to forget the moments leading up to, and during their trauma," Ben replied. "Give him time..."

"What do you remember Atem?" Anzu asked softly.

His eyebrows knotted together as images of the previous night flashed through his mind. "I'm tired," he mumbled, closing his eyes to try and prevent himself from crying. Why was he crying?

Both Yugi and Anzu spotted the tears as they leaked from the corners of his eyes. "Hey! It's okay. We're all safe! You are a hero." Yugi gently clasped his shoulder, while Anzu reached for the tissue dispenser that was built into the unit next to the bed.

"Here," she gently dabbed away the tears.

He took the tissue from her and held it over his eyes. "I remember shooting Bakura," he muttered. "Is he dead?"

"No, he survived, but he is in a critical condition," Yugi told him.

"What happened to Anzu?" He was still confused and had not registered that she was there.

"I'm right here! You saved me!"

"Oh!" Atem gave her a baffled look. "How?"

They did not get time to explain what had happened because the staff needed to move Atem to another ward so that they could bring in another critical care patient.

The nurse apologised. "I am afraid there are too many patients and not enough beds. We would rather keep him here a little longer but it is not possible."

Atem's bed was wheeled out into the corridor, just as the other patient was wheeled in.

"I can't believe they are throwing Atem out into the corridor like this!" Anzu huffed.

"I am sorry," Vivian smiled apologetically. "As soon as they heard we might have a space, they brought another patient up from the operating theatre. His operation ended two hours ago but he had to be kept in the operating theatre because there were no beds available in intensive care. Unfortunately, that meant the operating theatre had to be taken out of commission, and as a result, other surgeries have been cancelled," Vivian told Anzu.

"That's terrible!"

"It is, but what can we do? We don't have the funding for the extra staff and beds," Vivian shrugged.

After placing the other patient in Atem's vacated space, the porter returned to where Atem was now waiting in the corridor. Vivian told the porter to wait until they knew which ward Atem was being moved to.

After about fifteen minutes, during which time Atem had dozed off, he was finally being moved.

Visiting hours were not for another two hours and Yugi was annoyed they could not go to the new ward with him.

Their voices woke Atem up. "It's okay Yugi," he muttered wearily. "I don't feel much like visitors anyway. My head hurts and I need to sleep,"

They watched as Atem's bed was wheeled away from them. It turned the corner and disappeared from their sight.

"Is it normal for him to still want to sleep?!" Yugi worried.

"Yes, it's quite normal. The medication will take time to leave his system. Headache and drowsiness is a side effect. By the time you come back to visit him later, he will probably feel much better," Ben explained.

"Well, I hope so..." Yugi looked at his watch. It was twelve forty. He was feeling irritated that they could not stay with Atem. He was desperate to open the letter and spend time with him.

Anzu quickly picked up on his impatience. "Come on Yugi! Why don't we go and get some lunch? It's only a couple of hours to wait!"

"I guess..." Pouting slightly, he ran his hand through his hair.

"Come on Yugi Boy! I would not have imagined you to be impatient type!"

"He's not, usually!" Anzu rolled her eyes.

"Lunch is my treat to you both! What do you say?" Pegasus opened his arms in a welcoming gesture.

"Yeah, okay..." Yugi gave them a guilty smile. He knew he should not get irritable, but so much had happened in the last few days that he could not help it. Atem was in good hands and it was probably better to let him rest for a while.

He could also let Mai and Mana know that Atem was awake. It cheered him up to think that Atem had two hot women after him!

He apologised for his mood and accepted Pegasus' offer to buy them lunch.

::::::::::::

Mai was getting ready to head over to the court for the bail hearing when she received Yugi's message telling her that Atem was awake. It was a relief to hear good news and it also had the effect of making her feel more positive that she would be able to convince the judge that Marik should not be released on bail.

Arriving at court, she and Sergeant Darcy Devlin were ushered into to a small waiting room. After going through the necessary paperwork, they were called through to the courtroom.

Because of the nature of the hearing, the courtroom was closed to journalists and the public. Just the judge, clerk and ushers were present, and of course, the defendant, Marik, and his lawyer Siegfried Von Schroeder.

She tried not to look at Siegfried. But when she accidentally glanced across to where he was seated, he caught her gaze and smirked. Raising a neatly shaped eyebrow, he tossed his pink hair over his shoulder with the fingertips of his elegantly manicured hand and stuck his nose in the air.

It made Mai want to punch him.

"Who does he think he is?" Sergeant Devlin whispered.

"The Queen of Tarts!" Mai snickered. "He went to drama school with my mother. They used to hang out together in the early 1980s. They were part of the New Romantic scene. Of course, he now looks down on all those people -including my mother. And, of course, _me_ for being her daughter."

"So victory over him will be all the sweeter," Darcy Devlin smiled.

"Absolutely!"

The judge read out the case being presented before her and then asked each party if they had anything to add.

Mai had to admit, Siegfried put on a good show; claiming that his client was full of remorse for actions and that being detained was not helping his recovery and rehabilitation from the gunshot wounds inflicted on him by the police. Marik was silent, but sat in his chair, fluttering his lavender eyes at the judge and looking all innocent.

Of course, Mai had her chance to speak and reiterated that you should never be fooled by looks. Marik Ishtar was a dangerous criminal, who was involved in drug smuggling, people trafficking and prostitution. If allowed out on bail, he was likely to seek revenge against his arresting officers, for his and his partner's injuries. He also had a network of criminal allies who would be able to help him escape the country and avoid justice.

The judge agreed with Mai and ordered that Marik be detained until his trail. She set a date for the trial, one month from now.

Mai heaved a sigh of relief that Marik would not be released. The innocent look disappeared from his face and was replaced by a sinister snarl, as two police officers took him away.

On the way out of the courtroom, Mai passed Siegfried.

"Miss Valentine..." Siegfried cooed.

"Detective Inspector Kujaku!" She corrected.

"Whatever.." he waved a well manicured finger, dismissively. "Good performance by the way."

"I don't need a performance. All I did was state the true facts. I rely on my belief that criminals should not be given the freedom to harm innocent people."

"And it is my job to ensure my clients get a fair hearing. I will see you in court... Ms. Kujaku. Be prepared for a good battle!" He stuck his nose in the air and pivoted on his heel to mince out.

Mai resisted the urge to blow a raspberry at his back. However, Sergeant Devlin showed less restraint, showing him the middle finger.

"Come on," Mai laughed. "Let's get back to the office! We have a lot of work to get through!" And she was keen to get it done so that she could go and visit Atem.

::::::::::::

During lunch, Pegasus received a phone call. He had to leave his food and hurry back to London for a meeting. "Give my regards to Atem Boy! And tell him I will speak with him later."

After he had gone, Yugi and Anzu finished their lunch. They still had some time to fill before visiting hours started so Anzu suggested that Yugi might like to take her for a stroll in her wheelchair. After being stuck in the hospital, she really needed to get out in the fresh air.

They found a small park with a duck pond. A kind lady with a small dog gave them some stale bread that she had brought to the park, to feed to the ducks.

The time flew by and it was soon time to go back to the hospital.

Yugi kept touching the inside of his jacket where the envelope sat, safely. Soon they would be able to say that they were officially, brothers.

::::::::::::

Atem was dozing when they entered the ward. All of the beds on the ward were occupied and most of the patients had visitors. Many had pulled the curtains round for more privacy. The nurse pointed them to where Atem's bed was situated by the window.

"That's good. He can sit and look at the nice view," Anzu stated, as Yugi wheeled her the where Atem lay sleeping. From her seated position, she could not really see the view from the window.

"Or maybe not!" Yugi chuckled. "Unless he likes looking at roof tops and air conditioning coolers covered in bird mess. And I can just about see the car park."

Anzu eased herself out of her chair to look. "Oh! I see what you mean! Not very nice, is it? But at least he can see the sky!"

Their voices caused Atem to stir from his sleep. "Hi!" His mouth twitched into a lopsided smile as he pushed himself up to sit. "I didn't hear you come in!"

"Sorry if we woke you.. we just arrived," Anzu answered.

"No it's fine. I was only dozing because I was bored."

"How are you feeling now?" Yugi asked, keenly.

"Good! I'm trying to convince them to let me go home."

"Is that wise?! You only just woke up from a coma! Anzu's overprotective, motherly tone made Atem smile.

"There's no point in me staying here! I am going home later, whether they agree or not."

"Do you remember what happened yet?" Yugi asked him.

Atem looked at him blankly and shrugged. "Nothing after shooting Bakura. But I'm sure my memory will come back eventually."

Anzu admitted that her memory had also been sketchy at first."I started getting flashbacks during the night. I think I wanted to forget but my mind wouldn't let me." She frowned and looked down at her hands in her lap. For a woman who always liked to appear cheerful and in control, it was difficult to admit she was struggling emotionally after her ordeal. Yugi reached over and put his hand over hers.

"It will be okay Anzu. You _can_ talk to me about it."

Anzu opened her mouth to speak about her ordeal but but decided against it. Maybe it was better that Atem could not remember. "Thanks, but I'm okay," she smiled weakly.  
Yugi could see through her mask of stoicism but did not wish to push her. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed her head gently.

Keen to change the conversation to something more cheerful, Anzu pointed to the blue sports bag that Yugi had been carrying with him. "We brought you some clean clothes."

Atem nodded gratefully. "What about my phone?" He could not remember if he had it in a pocket or left it in his car!

Yugi pulled his phone out of the bag and handed it to him. "Your keys are in the bag too. They towed your car back to London and are looking after it."

Thanking Yugi, he took his phone and started scrolling through the numerous messages he had received. "Funny how popular you suddenly become when you nearly die," he said sarcastically but with a hint of humour.

"People genuinely care about you!" Anzu scolded him.

Atem smirked at her and rolled his eyes at the fact that she had taken his statement seriously.

He came across the messages from Mana. The DNA test! She had been trying to reach him about it!

He looked at Yugi. "Mana has been trying to reach me... She has the results!"

"I know. I have them here. I haven't opened them yet because I wanted us to find out together." He pulled the envelope out and sat down on the edge of Atem's bed. He handed him the envelope. "You open it."

"Are you sure?" He looked at Yugi expectantly. Yugi nodded.

"Go ahead," he smiled.

Atem bit his lip and his expression became serious. He slipped his fingernail under the gap in the corner and teased the flap open slightly before sliding his finger along the fold to tear it open.

His heart was beating fast as he took out the paper and unfolded it.

Before looking, he glanced at Yugi for support. "Go on, what does it say?" Yugi was a little nervous but also full of anticipation.

Atem took a breath and scanned the result before looking up at Yugi with a bewildered expression.

"It says..."

* * *

 **Oh God! I am so sorry for the cliffhanger but it was too good to resist!**

 **I hope you will forgive me by giving a nice review.**


	19. Chapter 19

This is the penultimate chapter. I am sad that this story is almost at an end but I have two other new ones in the planning stage, so I will be back!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

* * *

Dance With The Devil

Chapter 18.

"It says... we are brothers!" Atem gazed at the letter. The results were conclusive. He had expected they might share the same father, but this confirmed that they also shared the same mother! Why had his adoptive parents told him that his mother was a peasant woman of ill repute, who could not afford to look after a baby? They had lied to him!

Being stoic by nature, he always guarded his feelings closely and was pretty good at keeping them in check in front of others. But right now he was completely overcome – not by the joy he had hoped he would feel at discovering Yugi was his brother, but by a sense of betrayal.

Why had his real parents given him away – or more likely, _sold_ him – to his stepfather?

He had no idea what he should do next!

Pushing the results towards Yugi, he looked up at him in dazed confusion. There was something about Yugi's body language and the relieved, knowing smile on Yugi's face, that spoke volumes. He looked accusingly at Yugi. "You already knew! Didn't you?" His emotions were now turning to anger and he was glad that the curtain was pulled around the bed, shielding them from view.

Yugi was a little taken aback by the accusing tone of Atem's voice. "No! Well..." He checked himself. There was no point in lying, or trying to cover it up. "I.. I'm sorry! I know I should have told you, but I wanted to be certain first."

"I'm not sure I understand?! I didn't press you for answers the other night because we were focussed on saving Anzu. What is it that you wouldn't tell me?"

"It's complicated... I wanted to tell you but there was still a small amount of 'what if we are not brothers' in the back of my mind. And I didn't want to have to explain it until I knew for sure."

"Do your parents.. _our_ parents know about you finding me?!"

Yugi shook his head. "No! They still think you are dead!"

"Dead?! What do you mean by dead?!"

Yugi grimaced. He was making a right mess of this! "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it quite like that!"

"I think you need to tell me the truth Yugi, because right now, I'm totally confused." Tears threatened, but he remained stoic.

Yugi needed to put this right, and quickly. His own emotions were threatening to overwhelm him and he could barely look Atem in the eye as he attempted to explain. "I only discovered the truth after Anzu told me that she had met you. It is a heartbreaking story."

Atem was frustrated with Yugi's lack of information and was having trouble keeping his voice down. "I don't care how bad it is Yugi! I want to know why our parents got rid of me and told you I was dead?! Was I a disappointment to them, or something?" He said, bitterly.

Yugi looked at him in alarm. He really had not expected a reaction like this! He thought they would hug, talk and maybe cry a little, and then make plans to reunite Atem with his true family. Instead, it had opened up wounds of hurt and rejection. "No! They loved you!" Tears welled up in Yugi's eyes as he quietly explained to his brother what had happened all those years ago and how it had broken his parents hearts.

Atem felt like a dagger had been pushed into his chest when Yugi told him how his mother had left him with their nanny while she went with to visit the Pharaohs' tomb with Atem's father and grandfather. They returned to find the nanny murdered and their baby missing. There was an investigation, and sometime later, the remains of an infant had been found.

"Why didn't they do a post mortem to identify if it really was me?!" Atem was horrified that they could have mistaken the remains for him!

"They were told that the remains were too badly de-composed so they did not see them. The police said a post mortem had been done and that it _was_ you. They took the remains home to Japan. We have a little grave in the children's cemetery."

"So, all these years, they believed me dead and have been grieving for the wrong baby..." He muttered, closing his eyes tightly. His stepfather had been involved in some shady business deals, but this?! How could he do something this evil? His wife could not have children so he probably set up the whole thing in order to get her a son.

Worried that Atem was about to explode, Yugi reached out and placed his hand over Atem's clenched fist. "Atem? Are you okay?" Atem blinked away his tears and looked him in the eyes.

"I think so. I'm just a bit... horrified! I am sorry if I got angry with you a moment ago."

Anzu could feel her heart breaking for them. It was not just Yugi and Atem who were going to find this hard to deal with. This was going to be difficult for the whole family to come to terms with.

How did a family get back twenty five lost years?

::::::::::::

Atem decided to call his friend Rafael, and arranged for him to give them a lift back to London. He then discharged himself from the hospital - the last thing he wanted to do was sit around here brooding when he could be feeling sorry for himself at home. And there was still much he and Yugi needed to discuss.

It was only when he started getting dressed that he realised how weak and unsteady he was feeling.

The nursing staff tried to persuade him to stay, but he would not listen.

Trying to look composed, he walked out of the ward to where Yugi and Anzu were waiting for him in the corridor – there was no way he was going to let anyone see how wobbly he was.

Thankfully, Yugi took his bag from him and hung it over the handle of the wheelchair, otherwise it might have been enough to make him fall over.

As soon as they stepped into the elevator, Yugi fixed him with a stern look. "Are you sure you should be going home? You can hardly walk!"

"I'm fine!" He snapped, abruptly. His belligerence made Anzu roll her eyes in annoyance.

"You're not okay! You look dreadful!"

"I haven't eaten anything for nearly two days, and I have been in a coma! What do you expect?"

"Okay, but we are not letting you out of our sight until you are better," Yugi said, firmly. The lift reached the ground floor and they got out. Atem needed to hold onto Yugi for support.

With Yugi helping him, he managed to shuffle along the corridor.

They went outside and found a bench to sit on while they waited for Rafael to arrive.

Since they were not able to take the wheelchair with them, Yugi took it back inside the hospital. He came back out with a Mars Bar for Atem. "I thought this might give you some energy!"

Thanking him, Atem ate it quickly. He still did not feel great, but the sugar kick helped and he started to feel a little less wobbly.

About fifteen minutes later, a transit van with tinted windows pulled up, close to where they were sitting.

A mountain of a man jumped out of the van to greet them.

"Meet my brother Yugi and my sister in law Anzu!" Atem felt a tingling feeling in his chest at how good it felt to introduce them as his family.

Rafael nodded and offered a handshake. "So the test confirmed it eh?! Nice to meet you both."

Yugi was expecting a bone crushing handshake, but Rafael's handshake was surprisingly flimsy!

They all got into the van. Atem climbed into the front, while Rafael opened the rear doors and showed Anzu and Yugi to the bench seat that had been fitted on one side of the van – it could also double as somewhere to sleep during long stakeouts. The other side of the van was kitted out with surveillance equipment and Yugi's jaw dropped at the sight. "Wow! That's some awesome kit!"

"Do you work for MI5, as well?" Anzu enquired.

"Not exactly." Rafael did not elaborate further. He jumped out of the van and slammed the doors closed, before going round to the drivers side and climbing in.

He turned to Atem, who was sitting looking sleepy. "Are you going to tell me why you went after Bakura on your own? You nearly got yourself killed, you idiot!"

Atem held his hands up defensively. "I'm sorry! But Anzu's life was in danger, I couldn't take the risk. He told me to come alone."

"So you took your kid brother?" Rafael shook his head in dismay.

"I had no choice! Bakura had Anzu! What would you do if some maniac kidnapped your wife?!"

Rafael made a growling sound in his throat. He didn't need to answer, Atem already knew that he would go after the kidnapper and would probably kill them with his bare hands!

::::::::::::

The traffic was very heavy and by the time they arrived back at Atem's flat it was five o'clock in the afternoon.

Atem had started to feel nauseous and dizzy again during the journey and was keen to get indoors so that he could lie down.

From the back of the van, neither Yugi or Anzu could see him clearly, and Rafael was too busy concentrating on his driving to notice his friend was looking pale and unwell.

It was not until they arrived and Atem stumbled out of the van, that anyone noticed that he had a problem.

"You should have stayed in the hospital.." Rafael jumped out of the van and ran round to where Atem was leaning against the door frame, gasping for breath.

"Stop making a fuss! I just need food and rest."

"Whatever," Rafael rumbled, "-but I'm helping you up to your flat." Atem had no energy to argue and allowed his friend to support him.

Fumbling with his keys, Atem struggled to insert them into the door lock. Rafael took them from him and opened the door.

They were immediately assaulted by a black cat. "Hey, Yami! Wondering where I've been?" Atem crouched rather slowly, to scratch behind the cat's ears as it purred and rubbed itself against him.

"I didn't know you had a cat!" Yugi was surprised! The cat had not been around the other night and Atem had not mentioned it. He did not even remember seeing a food bowl or litter tray! But then again, he had been somewhat distracted.

"Yeah..." Atem chuckled. "I was on a stakeout one night and this hungry little kitten decided to latch onto me. He had no collar or microchip so I adopted him."

Anzu and Yugi both bent down to say hello to the jet black cat called Yami.

"I would stay, but unfortunately, I have to get to work," Rafael told them.

After ordering Atem to rest, he left.

Yugi helped Anzu over to the sofa and she sat down. The cat immediately jumped onto her lap. "Aww, you're so cute, aren't you Yami," Anzu cooed, tickling under his chin. The cat purred contentedly.

"I think he likes you." Yawning, Atem slumped into the armchair opposite her. Yugi sat down next to Anzu.

"If you're feeling up to it, we should probably talk. Grandpa will want to know that you are... okay." he said, choosing his words carefully.

"You mean, not dead!" Atem interjected. "It's okay to say it. I'm not that sensitive."

Yugi nodded slowly. "Grandpa will want to know I have found you."

But Atem was not sure he was ready. "Can it wait? I'm still trying to get my head round everything."

"Sure! Grandpa won't be awake yet anyway. But you shouldn't be worried. Mum and Dad will get emotional, but I know they will be happy when they find out about you." The words Mum and Dad, still did not sound quite right to Atem. They were total strangers to him.

He looked up at Yugi and smiled weakly. How did he tell Yugi how he felt? And how was he going to tell him that he knew who was responsible for their suffering? Atem felt himself being overtaken by a burning desire to seek revenge and justice.

He wandered if they would be able to find peace, knowing that a wealthy Saudi Arabian criminal had masterminded the kidnapping of their baby son.

He did not feel like an Arab, but had been brought up as a Saudi Arabian. He spoke fluent Arabic, English and French, but he could not speak a word of Japanese! His birth culture was alien to him! Having felt misplaced for most of his life, he was happily settled in London, where the society was more multi-cultural. He was not sure if he wanted to leave and move to Japan.

"Atem?! Are you okay?!" Yugi was concerned that he was staring off into space.

"Oh! Yeah... Sorry, I was just thinking: I don't really know what I'm going to say to our parents. They are like strangers to me!"

Yugi smiled but inside he was feeling a little sad that Atem was feeling so alienated from them. He hoped that once he met his real family, he would feel differently. "There's no hurry. I can ring Grandpa in the morning. Would you like me to put the kettle on? I can make some tea, or coffee, or whatever..."

"I would like tea please Yugi!" Anzu answered.

Atem nodded. "I will have tea a well. Mai messaged me to say she is coming over in half an hour or so. I will have some tea and then I think I will go and clean myself up."

::::::::::::

Atem stripped down to his boxers and gazed at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. His unshaven face looked pale and drawn. His already lean body, looked and felt hollow, due to lack of nourishment. His muscles ached and he felt tired.

He squeezed toothpaste onto his toothbrush and gave his teeth a thoroughly good clean. He then rinsed his mouth and reached for the shaving foam and his razor.

Outside the bathroom, Mai was cooking dinner with the help of Yugi, who she had enlisted to peel the potatoes. Not wanting to be idle, Anzu sat at the table peeling carrots.

The tempting aroma of sausages cooking in the oven, made Yugi and Anzu realise how hungry they were.

Mai asked Yugi to fetch the bananas that were sitting in the fruit bowl. They were starting to get past their best and needed using up. She wanted to make sure Atem got a good, hearty meal inside him to aid his recovery and the bananas would make great banana custard.

Inside the bathroom, Atem could not smell the delicious food. He finished shaving and removed his boxers, before stepping into the shower.

He turned the shower to his favourite 'Rain Forest' setting so that he would get a good soaking from the water flowing from the large shower head mounted onto the ceiling.

As much as he wanted to forget, there was no denying the past. He had been kidnapped! Had his infant self been terrified when strangers burst into the house, murdered his nanny and snatched him away?!

He had wanted to know every little detail that Yugi knew. Over tea, Yugi had told him the house had been within a walled compound, patrolled by security. The people there were wealthy and wanted beggars and thieves kept out! Why had no one seen anything? Or heard the infant Atem's cries?!

He reached for the shampoo and poured some into his uninjured hand. Closing his eyes, he lathered the shampoo into his hair, scrubbing away the salty, dried seawater. As soon as he closed his eyes, he was assaulted by flashbacks from the previous night's near drowning. Water cascading over his head from the shower, caused him to panic. "Yugi?!" He screamed out, imagining that they were back in the sea. The shampoo was stinging his eyes and when the water went into his mouth, he started hyperventilating.

With the door to Atem's bedroom closed and the extractor hood in the kitchen on, no one could hear his desperate shouts from within the en-suite bathroom.

"Please can you check how long Atem will be, Yugi?" Mai said, "Only dinner will be ten minutes."

"Will do," Yugi went into the bedroom. He could hear the shower running and tapped on the door. "Atem? Dinner is in ten minutes!" He called. There was no answer.

Recognising that he was having a panic attack, Atem braced his hands against the wall and let the water hit him between the shoulder blades. Concentrating on steadying his breathing, he forced himself to calm down.

He heard Yugi banging on the door. Had Yugi heard his shouts? He hoped not! There was no way he wanted to admit that he was having a meltdown.

"Hey! Are you okay in there?" Atem heard Yugi's worried voice and pulled himself together.

"Yeah..!" He turned off the shower. "Just finishing up!" Stumbling out of the shower, he grabbed his towel and quickly rubbed himself down.

Wrapping the towel around his waist, he opened the door and peered out at Yugi. "Can you close the bedroom door? I need to tell you something and I don't want the girls to hear." Yugi did as asked and then walked over to the bed and sat down.

Meanwhile, Atem grabbed a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms and pulled them on under his towel and then used the towel to rub his wet hair, which was dripping rivulets of water down his lean, sculpted torso. He then grabbed a plain white tee-shirt and plopped down on the bed, next to Yugi.

"Are you feeling any better now that you have showered?" Yugi asked. Atem was going to lie but then changed his mind.

"To tell you the truth, I feel like shit! I don't know how much is due to all the stress and how much is down to nearly drowning."

"Is it that bad?"

"Let's just say, the last week has not been great. I have been shot in the chest, been responsible for Anzu getting kidnapped, been involved in a gunfight, helped save Anzu's life and I have almost drowned. Then what should have been a happy moment of finding out you are my brother, has turned out to be anything but happy!"

"It will be a happy ending though. Our parents will be so pleased when they meet you. And we don't blame you for Anzu getting kidnapped. We knew Bakura was planning something, but Anzu made the choice to go on with the show. I am just glad that it has all turned out okay."

"If you knew some of the things I have done! I don't deserve you." He turned and gave Yugi a weary smile.

"We all do bad things sometimes. Anzu and I split up for a while and I dated another girl while she was at dance school in New York! But we sorted it out!" His casual comment made Atem let out a snort of amusement. He looked at Yugi with a smirk. "That's not bad! That's called having fun!" They both chuckled.

"Mai should be dishing up dinner now." Yugi went to stand up but Atem grabbed his arm.

"The thing I wanted to talk to you about! I know who is responsible for killing the nanny and stealing me away!" Yugi's eyes went wide.

"You do?! Who?" Yugi sat back down with a shocked expression.

"My stepfather." Still gripping Yugi's arm, Atem started to tell Yugi about the Sennen family's links to organised crime.

He had barely started, when there was a knock on the door. The door swung open to reveal an impatient Mai. "I told you that dinner would be ten minutes! If you don't want it ruined, then I suggest you hurry..." She faltered when they both looked up at her. "Oh...! Was I interrupting some brotherly bonding?" Her face flushed slightly.

"We were just having a discussion about our parents! We can talk more later." Atem patted Yugi on the knee and went to stand a little too quickly for his current condition. Stars spun in front of his eyes and the next thing he knew, he was laying on the floor with Mai and Yugi peering at him with worried faces.

"I'm alright," he growled in annoyance at his undignified faint. "Low blood sugar."

"Then you had better get some food inside you fast!" Mai scolded, as she and Yugi helped him to stand. Despite his protests, they insisted on supporting him to the dining area. Anzu gasped when she saw them helping him.

"He's okay, he just fainted," Yugi told a worried Anzu.

Atem shook them off and sat himself down at the table. Mai rolled her eyes at his stubbornness and served the dinner.

A comforting plate of Bangers and Mash, with Bisto gravy and large helping of carrots and peas had never tasted so good. And with a nourishing meal inside him, Atem's frame of mind improved. He felt much better and came to the silent conclusion that maybe he was over thinking. It would all turn out okay in the end.

* * *

 **Authors note: Bangers and Mash is what we Brits refer to as sausages with mashed potatoes. Bisto (I don't know if you get it outside of the UK) are gravy granules that we pour boiling vegetable stock or water onto and mix into a thick savoury sauce to pour over our dinner. If there are any other terms I use that you don't get, please feel free to ask.**

 **As always, I love a review.**


	20. Chapter 20

I had a tough time getting this chapter out! I wanted to get the right feels at the end, but since there has been a lot of angst and pain, I thought I would lighten it up as well, by throwing in a bit of comedy with the cat and the rat.

One more to go after this. Which I have to admit, I have not written out because I have so many scenarios in my head! What would you, the reader, like to see happen?

Disclaimer: I don not own Yugioh.

* * *

Dance With The Devil.

Chapter 19.

With dinner eaten, Mai ushered Atem to the sofa and told him to rest while she and Yugi cleared up the dishes.

Annoyed at being treated like a sick child, he snapped at her for fussing over him. His words were hurtful and her response was to lecture him about being too arrogant for his own good.

From the kitchen, Yugi whispered to Anzu that they were like an old married couple.

"I hope we never end up like that!" Anzu responded.

"Hand me the TV remote!" Atem ordered, without saying please. He was tired and did not appreciate the nagging.

Rolling her eyes, Mai picked it up from the coffee table and threw it into his lap with slightly more force than necessary. He flinched as it landed on a sensitive part of his body and glared at her.

Scowling, she went back to the kitchen to do the washing up.

Atem fixed his glare on the television. "That woman!" He muttered under his breath.

"That man..." Mai hissed, noisily putting plates in the dishwasher. "I know he's not well, but he could be a little more grateful!" Sniffing, she wiped away a tear.

Yugi and Anzu felt a bit awkward and were not sure what to say.

"It's okay," Mai winked at them. "We both tend to be a bit stubborn." She threw Yugi a pair of bright yellow washing up gloves. "Why don't you wash, while I dry."

:::::::::::

Feeling a bit useless at not being able to help with the clearing up, Anzu took the opportunity to properly read the numerous messages on her phone. Her friends and family in Japan, all wanted to know how well the opening night of the show had gone and were worried because she had not been in touch!

Her parents had tried to ring her several times and Anzu felt guilty for not returning their calls, but she knew that if she did, she would only end up blubbering down the phone at them about her kidnapping, and she was not ready to tell them about it – at least, not until the dust had settled and her mental and physical state was back to normal.

She knew it was cowardly to send a text message, but it was far easier to evade the truth in a message than it was if she were to ring them.

Mai was busy drying the glass tumblers and noticed the pensive look on Anzu's face. "What's wrong hun?" She enquired, gently.

Anzu spilled her feelings of guilt about not ringing her parents as promised.

"I know our circumstances are a bit different, but I wouldn't feel guilty if I were you. You are a married woman, you have your husband to look after you. Why worry your parents when they are thousands of miles away? You are doing the right thing." Mai's words of wisdom made Anzu smile.

"Thanks Mai. You are probably right."

"I know I'm right."

Meanwhile, Yugi was hurriedly scrubbing the greasy roasting tin in which the sausages had been cooked. He twisted round to look at the two women.

"It's okay Yugi! I'm feeling better now," Anzu smiled at him.

By the time they had started the dishwasher and finished washing the remaining items by hand, Atem had fallen asleep in his chair. The TV was playing away to itself.

Careful not to wake him up, Yugi helped Anzu over to the sofa so that they could sit down. The sight of Atem sleeping made them smile at him affectionately.

"He must have been exhausted," Anzu whispered. Yugi agreed with her.

"I know you wanted to go home, but do you think we should stay here and keep an eye on him tonight?" He asked, hopefully.

"Of course we should! Atem is family. And anyway, home is thousands of miles away!" She gave Yugi a little smile and leaned in to kiss the end of his nose, teasingly. Yugi chuckled and cuddled her.

Anzu wriggled free and reached for her phone so that she could inform Christina of their plans to stay and look after Atem.

While Anzu was talking to Christina, Atem opened a sleepy eye and glared at them. "I don't want you to feel you have to stay. I'm not an invalid."

Mai rolled her eyes at him. "No! But you are still recovering and we don't think you should be left on your own. Yugi is your brother. It's only natural that he should want to stay with you."

Atem grunted and closed his eyes again. Mai smiled at the slight pout on his face. His word was usually final and it was not often he accepted defeat. She checked her watch.

"If you two are happy to stay, then I should get going! I have an early start in the morning. I will call tomorrow to check how you all are."

As soon as Mai had gone, Atem got up to feed Yami and change his litter tray. Yugi tried to stop him. "I can do it. You should go to bed!"

Atem argued that he was quite capable of feeding the cat. In the end they compromised: Atem did the food and water, while Yugi cleaned the litter tray.

"How come I get the horrible job?!" Yugi wrinkled his nose as he tipped the soiled contents into a bin bag and then put fresh gravel into the tray.

"Because you're the younger brother," Atem gave him a superior smirk. "And besides, there's no way I can walk down the steps to the wheelie bins in my condition!"

Anzu smiled at their brotherly banter. It was almost as if they had always been together. Her smile turned sad when she thought about all those years of brotherly love, squabbles and friendly rivalry they had missed out on.

While Yugi was taking the rubbish bag down to the bins, Atem made a pot of green tea. While waiting for it to brew, the feeling of nausea was returned and he was not sure if he could pour the tea and carry the tray. He had to lean against the counter to steady himself.

Yugi returned in time to help him and Atem was happy to let him.

Trying to hide the fact that he was not feeling too great again, Atem followed him into the lounge area and was relived to make it to his arm chair without stumbling. He sat down and started yawning.

Anzu found his yawning was infectious. "I didn't sleep much last night. There was a noisy patient in the next bed!" She yawned and let her head rest against Yugi's shoulder.

Although it was still only eight thirty in the evening, they drank their tea and decided to go to bed.

Yugi took Anzu to the guest bedroom. The double divan was still unmade from where he had slept in it for an hour or two the other night.

Yugi helped her hobble to the bathroom so that she could brush her teeth and use the lavatory. She was grateful to him for putting her toothbrush and nightdress in the bag he had brought to the hospital.

Leaving her to get ready for bed Yugi peered into Atem's room to check if his brother was okay. He could hear soft, rhythmic breathing, confirming that Atem was already sleeping soundly. He quietly pulled the door, leaving it just ajar.

Yami meowed and nudged his ankles, playfully. He put his finger to his lips and made a shusshing sound. Offended at the rejection, Yami bristled, and with his tail in the air, strutted towards the cat flap and went out to hunt.

Anzu called out softly for Yugi to help her back into the bedroom. "I hope my feet feel better soon," she complained. "I hate not being able to move around properly."

"I'm sure they will be," he answered sympathetically.

Making sure she did not need him to help with anything else, he went to the bathroom to get himself ready for bed.

When Yugi returned, Anzu was laying on the bed, wearing the pretty pink nightdress that Yugi was glad he had packed when he sorted her bag out. She looked alluring and he could not resist climbing onto the bed with her and giving her a cuddle.

Anzu complimented him for being such a loving, caring husband. She would not readily admit it, but being kidnapped had left her feeling insecure and she needed Yugi to stay close – he was her comfort blanket.

"You okay?!" He sensed her vulnerability in the way that she clung to him a little more tightly than she normally did. She nodded against his shoulder.

"Yes." Her voice was almost a whisper.

With Yugi holding her, she was able to sleep soundly.

::::::::::::

Atem woke up just after seven in the morning; he was feeling so much better and far less bad tempered than he had been last evening. The nausea and dizziness had also gone and his strength seemed to have returned.

He got out of bed and went to the bathroom, before going out to the kitchen to put the kettle on.

He was instantly greeted by Yami, who had come in from a night out hunting and was now ready to settle down and snooze the day away.

Atem rolled his eyes when the cat purred and rubbed his shins affectionately. "What have you brought home for me this time?" He bent down to rub Yami under the chin. Whenever the cat greeted him like this, it was usually because he had brought a mouse, a rat, or sometimes a bird.

He looked around but could not see anything in the usual places the cat left his offerings!

Shrugging, he finished filling the kettle with water.

He was startled when Anzu suddenly screamed.

::::::::::::

Anzu woke to the soft sound of Yugi snoring in her ear. She gently lifted his arm off herself and sat up to peer at the clock. It was seven fifteen.

Wiggling her toes around, she reached down to feel her feet. They were less swollen and the painful burning/throbbing sensation was almost gone. She needed a pee so she decided to try out her feet by walking to the bathroom without help.

She tentatively put her feet down and stood up. Smiling, she went to take a step forward and almost trod on a dead rat. "Arghhhh!" She let out a blood curdling scream.

Yugi immediately bolted upright in bed. "Anzu?!" He yelled, terrified that something awful had happened.

"Rat!" She screamed.

"Where?!" Yugi jumped up so quickly to see what she was pointing at that the blood rushed to his head and he nearly fell over again.

Atem came charging into the room and stopped in his tracks when he spotted the extremely dead creature on the floor. "Oh!" He laughed. "I was wondering where he left it! He must like you to bring you such a generous gift."

"Not funny!" Anzu pouted. "It's horrible.." With Yugi now rolling around on the bed with laughter, Anzu could not help but see the funny side of it and joined in with their laughter.

"I will dispose of it!" Atem grabbed a tissue and picked the rat up by it's tail. Anzu grimaced at the way it dangled from his hand. How on earth could he pick the thing up like that?

Not bothered that he was still in his pyjamas, Atem went outside to dispose of the rat.

"It's good to see Atem is much better, isn't it Yugi?!" Anzu said, carefully testing her feet out as she walked to the bedroom door.

"It is good to see you are _both_ better!" He was watching each step that Anzu took. "How do they feel?"

"Much better!" She turned to him with a smile. "Do you mind if I use the bathroom first? I would like to take a shower." Yugi nodded that it was fine. He picked up his phone and went out to the dining room. Turning on his phone, he sat down at the dining table.

After less than a minute, Atem came back from disposing of the rat.

"That was quick!" It had taken Yugi much longer than a minute to walk down two flights of steps to the communal rubbish bins.

"I slung it over the balcony into the dock," Atem confessed.

Yugi wrinkled his nose. "Isn't that kind of unhygienic?"

"People do worse than that in it!" He shrugged. "There's some big crabs and fish in there that will eat it." He washed his hands and began to tell Yugi about how he once went to throw a rat into the dock and had completely muffed his throw, causing it to fly sideways and land in the middle of the footpath, right in front of a woman walking her dog. She had screamed and her small terrier type dog had tried to eat it! Yugi could not stop laughing.

"What did you do? Did she see you?"

"No! I ducked down and quickly crept back indoors. Do you both want tea?" Yugi confirmed that they would. Atem chucked three teabags into the pot and poured the boiled water onto them.

Yugi was suddenly distracted by the little light on his phone that was flashing and picked it up to check his messages. "It looks like Grandpa tried to ring me earlier! I should return his call. Are you ready for me to break the news?"

"Yes, I am. I'm sorry I didn't want to speak with them last night; I wasn't feeling up to it. My behaviour was questionable. In fact, I think I was a bit of an ass hole! I should probably apologise to Mai." He looked a little sheepish.

"You can be excused after what you went through," Yugi smiled. "And anyway, I think Mai gave out as good as she got."

Atem chuckled. "She has a low tolerance for the male ego. My ego is quite sizeable and she sees me as a challenge. I also find her quite challenging. It makes for quite a spark between the sheets – if you know what I mean?!" The smirk on his face made Yugi blush at how candid his brother was being with him.

"Er... yeah... I think I do." Scratching the back of his head, he squirmed. He really should learn to not get embarrassed so easily. Jonouchi often boasted about his love conquests so he should be accustomed to it by now!

Anzu returned. "What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing much," Atem shrugged. "I was making tea and we were discussing calling Yugi's grandfather."

"Our grandfather," Yugi corrected.

As if right on cue, Yugi's phone rang. It was their grandfather. "Hi Grandpa!" He answered cheerfully. He was not prepared for the greeting he received from his grandfather.

" _What is going on Yugi? Have you and Anzu been in some sort of danger?"_ Sugoroku sounded extremely worried.

Yugi gave a sheepish laugh. "What do you mean?" It had not occurred to him that since Anzu was Japanese, the news would reach Japan!

" _Yugi...?!"_ Sugoroku used the same tone he had always used when Yugi was a little boy and had done something naughty and tried to hide it. " _We have been watching the evening news. They are saying that Anzu was kidnapped, immediately after the show! Reports seem a bit vague and muddled but apparently you and a man they believe to be your brother, shot the kidnapper and rescued her! Is this true Yugi? Is this the same man that you were meeting in the hope that he is our Atem?"_

Yugi's reply of was almost a squeak. "Yes!" He cleared his throat and explained what had actually happened. He reiterated that they were all okay, and that the kidnapper was in hospital. He finished by explaining that DNA test confirmed, that without a doubt, Atem was his brother.

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. "Grandpa?! Are you still there?" Yugi looked at Atem and Anzu. Both were sitting there watching him. Atem was chewing the inside of his mouth, while Anzu was nervously reaching for her phone. If Yugi's family had seen the news, her parents would find out very soon too. They had not tried to call her yet so were probably not watching the news, but it was only a matter of time!

::::::::::::

Sugoroku and his daughter-in-law were trembling. Hana was almost beside herself and was very nearly hyperventilating – her son was alive! Her baby! She could not process what Yugi was telling his grandfather. Her joy and happiness was being overridden by a sense of grief and anger that they had been deceived and lied to all those years ago.

Despite his emotions, Sugoroku remained calm and collected – years of being a master gamer had taught him to never drop your guard. However, on this occasion, his voice gave him away. "Please, let me speak to him Yugi?"

Yugi offered the phone to Atem. As stoic as he usually was, Atem's nerves were in tatters and his body trembled. He hesitated. "But I can't speak Japanese!"

"Remember I told you my family lived in Egypt? They speak fluent English and Arabic!"

Swallowing down the lump in his throat, he took the phone. "Hello... Grandpa!" He muttered, in English. His voice lacked its usual commanding tone and he sounded more like a lost child.

Just hearing his eldest grandson's voice was enough to shatter the calm exterior Sugoroku thought he had put in place. The tears broke free and rolled down his cheeks, soaking into his beard. He could hardly speak. "Atem... my boy! Is.. is that really you?" He choked out.

"Yes Grandpa!" Atem scrunched his eyes shut to prevent his own tears from falling. "Yugi told me what happened." His voice was gravelly and shaky. He paused to collect the words that were stuck in his throat. "The people who took me! I.. I will make them pay!" He growled. "It won't be easy, but I will bring those responsible, to justice."

Sugorku gathered his emotions and was now in control again. "We will, but lets put our anger aside for now and celebrate being re-united. Your mother is desperate to talk to you." He passed the phone to His daughter-in-law, who had stopped sobbing enough that she was now able to talk.

But as soon as she heard Atem utter the word "Mum!" She crumbled again. In between sobs and sniffs, she muttered out the words. "My beautiful baby boy!" Her memories of him were frozen in time and she cold not quite picture the grown man he had become.

He chuckled. "I'm not quite a baby any more, Mum." He tried to sound sympathetic.

"When are you coming home?" She needed to see him, to cuddle him to her breast. So much time had been lost, she could not go another moment without her baby boy.

Atem suddenly thought of a solution. "Have you got a mobile phone number? I will send you a picture of myself."

"Oh...yes!" Hana was nodding desperately. Her heart was pounding at how grown up he sounded. In fact, he sounded very much like his father. Her husband was in California on business at the moment. He still had no idea his eldest son was alive and she could not wait to let him know.

Her family would be whole again.

* * *

 **Please review.**


	21. Chapter 21

Ya know?! I am no longer going to promise that this story has finished because it seems to want to keep going!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh or any of the characters. I only own the ones I created for this story.

* * *

Dance With The Devil.

Chapter 20.

A sense of relief filled Atem's soul as he ended the call. It had gone well. Any doubts he had ever fostered about making himself known to his birth parents had been unfounded.

However, they still had much healing to do and Atem worried about the repercussions it would have when he informed his adoptive family that he knew the truth and would seek justice; not just for himself, but for the Mutou family as well.

Deciding that now was not the time to start a discussion about his desire for justice, he kept to the task at hand. "I'm not sure I have any photographs of myself!" He scratched the back of his head when Anzu rolled her eyes at him.

"You have a camera on your phone, don't you?" Of course he did, he was just not into taking selfies! "Give me your phone and I will take one."

Feeling a bit self conscious, he handed Anzu his phone. "But I'm still in my PJ's! And I haven't washed my face or cleaned my teeth!" He ran his hand over his face. At least he didn't need a shave.

"Don't worry, you look fine," Anzu replied, dismissively. He gave up arguing and glared at the camera lens.

"Smile!" Anzu teased.

"I am! I always smile like this!"

"An intimidating smirk is not a smile. Imagine I am wearing bunny ears or something." The comment made him chuckle and Anzu took the opportunity to snap him looking more natural. When he smiled properly, he had such a handsome, welcoming face.

After taking a few photos she suggested that he should have one with him and Yugi together. They selected the best two and sent them.

::::::::::::

Hana Mutou viewed the photographs with a lump in her throat. She still could not believe her eldest son was alive. It was a miracle!

She went downstairs, and switched on the printer at the back of the store so that she could print the photographs from her phone onto photo quality paper.

Sitting down at the table, she neatly trimmed the paper so that they would fit into the photo frames.

"I should inform Daisuke," She muttered, as her father-in-law approached her.

"Would you like me to ring him?" Sugoroku offered.

Hana nodded. "Thank you." She made a funny little laughing sound. "I will probably start crying down the phone at him and he won't understand a word I'm saying."

Satisfied with the two photographs she had framed, she held them out to admire them. One of Atem on his own and one of him with Yugi. "He could do with a hair cut," she observed. "His hair is even wilder than Yugi's!"

"He's definitely a Mutou with hair like that!" Sugoroku proudly rubbed his hand through his own unruly mane. At seventy six, he still had a good head of hair – even if it was grey!

They went back upstairs to the living area above the shop and Hana set the photographs on the sideboard. Sugoroku picked up the phone and dialled his son, who was currently working in California.

After an emotional call to Yugi and Atem's father, Sugoroku went to make a pot of tea, while Hana went upstairs to her bedroom.

Carefully lifting out the suitcase she kept at the back of the wardrobe, she sat down on the floor to open it up. Inside were items that had belonged to Atem.

Gently and lovingly, she took out a soft, eggshell blue baby-grow and pressed it to her face. His baby scent had long since faded, but if she tried very hard she could still remember his smell.

She gently placed the baby grow back in the case and took out the photo album. Neatly written on the front cover, were the words: Atem Mutou and his date of birth. She opened the front cover and smiled at the little cuttings of baby hair, all neatly sealed under the plastic film. He had been born with the cutest tuft of black downy hair on the crown of his head, and had been one week old when she had gently snipped off a few strands to place in her photo album. She had intended for the album to be a record of his journey through childhood – she had a similar one for Yugi, that had been filled up by the time he was five. But Atem's was less than than a third full. It had been abruptly ended on that fateful day.

She put the album back and took out his teddy bear. It had been almost as large as him and the nose and one paw were still matted with his dried drool, where he had gummed them to relieve the irritation of baby teeth, that threatened to break through the gums. He would need his teddy bear when he came home.

Sugoroku came into the bedroom carrying two mugs of green tea. "I thought I might find you in here."

She held up the teddy bear. "I wonder if he missed his teddy!"

For once, Sugoroku was lost for words and just smiled.

Hana stood up, still clutching the teddy bear. "I should make up a bed for when Atem comes home. I was thinking he might like to stay in Yugi's old room." Her eyes were filling with tears again.

::::::::::::

Atem re-read the message from his _real_ mother, thanking him for the photographs. She was so happy that he was alive! Even though she had suffered twenty five years of grief and anguish over him, there was no bitterness or anger in the tone of her message. All she conveyed was the warmth and love of a mother, yearning for her son to come home.

He feared it would be a few months before he would actually be able to go and visit her and it broke his heart.

His silent contemplation worried Anzu and Yugi.

"Are you alright?" Anzu enquired.

He nodded slowly and forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Would you like some breakfast?"

Accepting his answer for now, they confirmed that they would.

Atem started rummaging in the cupboard. "I don't have much to eat I'm afraid! Cornflakes, Weetabix, or bread that's so stale it's probably only fit for toast." He pulled the packet of bread out of the cupboard to find dots of mould forming on the surface. "Scratch that... It's only fit for the birds!" At least he had plenty of fresh milk in the fridge.

"Breakfast cereal it is then!" Anzu smiled.

Nodding, Atem placed the bottle of milk on the table, along with three bowls, spoons and the boxes of cereal.

Apologising for breakfast being a bit casual, he sat down at the table and told them to help themselves.

Yugi reached for the cornflakes, while Anzu went for the weetabix.

"Would either of you like more tea?" Atem offered.

"No, we're fine," Anzu decided for them both. "Why don't you sit down with us and have your breakfast?"

Atem nodded and sat down. He had always preferred his own company, but having the two of them here felt right. "I was thinking.. don't feel you have to, but I was wondering if you would both like to move in with me while you're staying in London?"

"Are you sure? Yeah, we would love to! Wouldn't we Anzu?" Yugi was excited about the idea and turned to Anzu for her reaction.

Anzu was a bit less enthusiastic. "I don't know... I feel a bit guilty moving out after Christina and her family made me so welcome."

"Like I said, it's your choice. I won't be offended if you say no." Atem shovelled in a mouth full of cornflakes.

Yugi had no intention of passing up the opportunity to spend more time with his new found brother. "I'm sure Christina won't mind us moving in here! Their house is a bit cramped with both of us there."

Yugi sounded extremely keen so Anzu relented. Atem's flat was very spacious and the docklands area was vibrant with shops and bars close by. Maybe it was not such a bad idea after all. "We will need to go and pick up our stuff. I also want to speak to Christina."

Atem grinned, happy that they had accepted his offer. "If you don't mind stopping off at New Scotland Yard for me to collect my car. I will drive you both to Wimbledon to collect your stuff," he told them.

They both agreed that it was a good plan.

::::::::::::

Relived to see Anzu looking well and walking on her own two feet, Christina gave her a hug.

Anzu felt terribly guilty as she explained they would be moving in with Atem. However, Christina was very understanding. "Please do not feel guilty! It is only right that Yugi should want to stay with his brother."

Anzu chewed her bottom lip. "You made me so welcome. I can't help feeling guilty."

Christina chuckled. "But you should be with your husband. You will be welcome to return here once Yugi travels home to Japan."

"Yeah... if I am not on the flight home with him," Anzu muttered, with a hint of sardonic humour.

Yugi was visibly shocked at her suggestion that she might be ready to quit and go home to Japan. He had thought she had overcome her fears.

Christina was also shocked but reacted calmly. "Why would you want to leave when you have such bright future with The Royal Ballet?!" Anzu looked at her with an ashamed expression.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it to sound like that.. It's just that... well, I don't know if I will be able to dance again."

Yugi took her hand. "If you're worried about me going home, I won't leave you Anzu. I will cancel my flight and stay for as you need me here."

"But what about the shop? Grandpa needs you there. And Atem should go with you to meet your parents. I don't want to be a burden to you by demanding you stay when I don't know if I even _want_ to dance again."

"Why don't you want to dance?" Christina responded gently. "No pressure! But Mister Crowler was hoping you would be ready for this weekend's performances. Both nights are sold out!"

"It's not that I don't want to. I don't know how long it will be before I can dance again." It was Just as Anzu feared, the director was anxious for the show to resume. One performance had already been postponed and the Royal Ballet Company would be losing money. They could not afford to keep paying their star attraction if she could not dance!

"Are your feet worse than you thought?" Christina questioned.

"It's not my feet, it's me," Anzu muttered, biting on her bottom lip. Yugi had already suspected that she had lost most of her confidence, but she had convinced him she was fine. For a young woman who always liked to show her independence, it was hard to admit that she was frightened about going back into the theatre where she had been kidnapped.

"If it was up to me, I would allow you all the time in the world," Christina told her. "But Crowler is insistent that Friday night's performance should go ahead as planned."

Anzu's eyes were full of fear as she looked to Yugi for support. "I don't know if I will be ready! I think my feet will be okay but I just don't know if I can do it!"

"Tell this Crowler, whoever he is, to go swivel!" Atem unhelpfully suggested. "Anzu has been through a traumatic experience and it is obvious that she fears going back to the place where she was kidnapped."

His statement had hit the nail right on the head. Anzu looked down at her feet and whispered in a small, hushed voice.. "He's right, I am frightened I will panic and have a silly meltdown."

Yugi felt his heart breaking for her. He wanted to do everything he could to quell her fear. "There is nothing silly about being afraid! Maybe we could go and visit the theatre now? Then you can decide if Friday is possible."

"Tomorrow, perhaps.. But not today." She wanted to delay as long as she could.

"I do not wish to worry you further," Christina added. "But due to all the media publicity surrounding your kidnapping, ticket sales have increased. Everyone wants to see you dance. There is even talk of adding further performances and possibly even a world tour!"

Anzu almost sobbed and buried her face in her hands. "Then I suppose I don't have any choice, do I?" How on earth was she going to overcome this?! She had always dreamed of being a famous dancer but not under these circumstances!

::::::::::::

The theatre looked large and foreboding. Yugi held Anzu's hand as they stood in the foyer.

"I don't feel too bad," Anzu smiled nervously. This part of the theatre was not a problem. They had yet to go backstage.

As Christina lead them through a side door that lead to the dressing rooms, Anzu started to tense. Bakura's words – 'Hello gorgeous' - echoed in her mind.

Yugi felt the pressure on his hand increasing as she squeezed it. "It's okay," he soothed. Do you want to go back outside and re-group?"

Anzu shook her head and practised her Yoga breathing. "I will be okay."

Suddenly, a door burst open and a blonde haired maintenance man, wearing a very similar coloured sweatshirt and jeans to the ones she remembered seeing Bakura wearing, appeared in the corridor in front of them. He grinned at them."Good Afternoon!" He said, pleasantly.

Anzu yelped and jumped out of her skin. She clung to Yugi. "Hey! It's okay. He's not Bakura."

"I know that." Anzu laughed nervously at how jumpy she was,

They reached the spot where Bakura had drugged and snatched her. There was still a scuff mark on the wall from Mai's struggle with him.

"I keep expecting _him_ to suddenly appear," she admitted.

"Well, he won't," Atem stated firmly.

"They are fitting a new alarm system," Christina told them. "The man you just saw is one of the electricians."

"Can I go onto the stage?" Anzu asked.

"Of course," Christina nodded.

"Yugi? Can you and Atem go and sit in the stalls? If I can't do this now, then I never will." She bravely let go of Yugi's hand and she and Christina walked towards the dressing room she had used _that_ night. Anzu peered inside.

After looking around and checking the dark corners for any sign of Bakura, Anzu left the dressing room and stepped out onto the stage.

Both Yugi and Atem were sitting in the front row wearing worried expressions. They both clapped and cheered when the saw her standing there, in the middle of the stage on her own. She gave them a little wave and did a couple of awkward dance steps – her feet were still a little too tender to go up on her toes.

She turned to Christina, who was waiting in the wings and gave her a thumbs up. "Can I have some music?"

Christina smiled and sat down at the piano. She started playing an easy piece that was generally used for doing warm up routines. Tentatively, Anzu started dancing. Her movements felt wooden and awkward at first but after a few minutes, she started to relax and let her body flow with the rippling sound of the piano.

Atem and Yugi turned to one another and smiled. "Anzu is a strong woman Yugi. You should be proud of her."

Yugi nodded. He was very proud of her.

::::::::::::

Over the next couple of days, Anzu's confidence started to grow again. It was still a fragile confidence but she was no longer afraid that Bakura might jump out of the shadows at her.

Atem had also overcome his fear of water and was relived that he had managed to do so without needing to seek professional help. However, he was still not sure if he was ready to go swimming yet, but would conquer that problem if and when it arose. He and Anzu had already agreed that they were keen to avoid beaches for the foreseeable future.

He had returned to work and Pegasus was keen for him to talk to one of the counsellors to ensure that he was fit to return to duty and was not suffering from post traumatic stress. "I am dealing with it. I will be okay," he reiterated.

"What about your new found family? Are you not keen to meet them?"

"I am, but I have reports to file and Marik's court case is pending."

"Yes," Pegasus nodded slowly. "It doesn't help that the bastard has pleaded not guilty to most of the charges! He even claims he was not responsible for Abdul's murder!"

Atem snorted derisively. "He shot me at point blank range! How the hell does he expect to convince a jury that it was an accident?"

"I will read you a snippet of his statement: 'I was lured into a trap by two officers posing as drug dealers. The tall one waved a gun at me threateningly. There was a loud bang! A bullet hit me, spinning me around and causing my finger accidentally to squeeze the trigger. I had no idea where the bullet went because I was laying on the ground with a shattered shoulder. I was unaware that I had actually shot Agent Sennen.'

"What bollocks!" Atem laughed.

"It is," Pegasus agreed. "It looks like his trial might run on for longer than is necessary. If we could convince him to change his plea to guilty then it would all be over quickly and you could go and visit your new family."

"I was going to ask you when I can take some leave? My mother, father and grandfather are keen to meet me in person. They will be disappointed if I can't go soon."

Pegasus was sincerely sorry. "What about your adoptive family? Have you informed them that you have found your real family?"

Atem shook his head. "I have not had any contact with them lately. I am considering starting a criminal investigation against my stepfather. I believe him to be the one responsible for my kidnapping. But I am conflicted. I do not wish to hurt my stepmother because I believe she is innocent. I am also aware that seeking justice against my stepfather, in Saudi Arabia, will be virtually impossible because he is a powerful man."

"I would advise you against it. Have you thought about re-opening the investigation into the kidnappers? I know you are quick to blame your stepfather for everything, but have you considered the possibility that he may have paid an agency to find him a baby and was unaware of the methods they employed?"

Atem shook his head. "He knew," he hissed through gritted teeth. "But you are right, the kidnappers may be the best place to start. From what Yugi tells me, the original investigation was a sham."

"Yes, and I think I might know why!" Pegasus looked at Atem's startled face and continued. "I took the liberty of contacting our operatives in Egypt. It seems that your kidnapping may be linked to The Ghouls."

"What?! But I thought Marik founded the Ghouls! He would only have been about eight months old."

"His father founded the Ghouls after the Egyptian Government dispensed with his services when they caught him stealing the very objects he was supposed to protect. They covered up the theft and it was implied that he was sacked because Tomb Keepers were no longer relevant in this modern age. I can arrange for you to interview Marik, if you wish? But it would mean him knowing your history."

"He may already know. He is involved in people smuggling but I did not involve myself in the police investigation into people smuggling as my job was to locate Marik and trap him. I had no idea that I might have been a victim of the Ghouls!" Atem sat back in his chair and considered it for a moment. "He has an older brother called Rishid, who would have been around seven at the time I was stolen. Get the police to speak to him. He is loyal to Marik but does not approve of his criminal activities. He works at the museum with Marik's sister Ishizu. I posed as an archaeologist and took her out on a couple of dates to try and gain information on Marik. She did not know where he was but said she felt very let down by her younger brother over the murder of their father. They may not know we have him in custody. Perhaps now is the time to tell them."

Pegasus could see where Atem was going with this. "You think Ishizu and Rishid Ishtar might remember something from that time?"

"Ishizu was only four but Rishid might remember. It's worth a shot! I don't know if their father kept any records of infants he stole for money, but I am willing to bet that the baby my parents buried thinking it was me, was also one of Ishtar Senior's victims."

"Leave it with me Atem Boy. I will let you know what I find out."

Atem was a bit stunned as he left Pegasus' office. He had gone from having little hope of finding the perpetrators to discovering that The organisation he had been trying to bring down might have been responsible all along!

* * *

 **And there we have it. Atem was kidnapped by the Ghouls! One of the reasons why it has taken me so long to do the chapter as I had all these ideas scrawled out but had not worked out how they would fit! I think I have it now though :-)**

 **Please review.**


	22. Chapter 22

Yes, I am still tying up the loose ends to this story. I decided that I would include the Marik angst because it helps us to understand why he turned bad.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

* * *

Dance With The Devil.

Chapter 21.

It was well past nine in the morning when Atem woke up. After slinging on a pair of black tracksuit trousers and a deep red sweatshirt he went out into the hallway.

There was no sound of movement coming from Yugi and Anzu's room so he left them to sleep in while he went out to the nearby store to pick up some items for a late breakfast. They would probably be hungry when they woke up.

The last few days had been good and the three of them were slowly putting the ordeal of Anzu's kidnapping and his near drowning behind them.

Anzu had already added a splash of colour to the rather minimalist interior of Atem's flat. A few colourful cushions on the cream leather sofa, a vase of flowers on the mantle, a rug on the floor of the lounge and a set of deep red curtains, to frame the window and sliding doors that lead onto the balcony, had made a big difference. The only failure had been the bowl of potpourri on the coffee table. Yami had thought it fun to scoop it out and spread it around the room!

But on the whole, having Yugi and Anzu here made the flat a much more pleasant place in which to spend time.

Atem was cautiously optimistic that they might also find out the truth about his own kidnapping.

Pegasus had sent an agent to talk to Ishizu, and they were currently gathering a great deal of useful information about the Ghouls. Atem had informed his real parents, and asked them if they would be willing to have the remains of the baby exhumed and examined by a forensic anthropologist, in the hope that they might find out who he was. Understandably, they had asked why?

When Atem had told them that Kamil Ishtar had been the original leader of the Ghouls and was responsible for stealing him and selling him to the Sennen family, they were shocked but not surprised. According to Grandpa, Kamil had been a thorn in the side of archaeologists working at site of the Pharaoh Atem's tomb. He had been sacked by the Egyptian Authorities, after a number of rare artefacts had gone missing. He had made threats but no one ever imagined he would actually do anything.

Walking past the rack of newspapers, Atem's eyes were immediately drawn to two of the daily London newspapers. Two slightly different pictures of Anzu dancing in Swan Lake appeared on the front page of each one.

He picked up a copy of the London Gazette – which was his favoured local paper. It started with the line: One week after terrifying kidnap ordeal, ballet star returns to the stage in a sensational and emotional performance. He smiled. Last night, he and Yugi had witnessed her glorious return to the stage and she certainly had been sensational.

Folding the newspaper in half, he placed it in his basket, along with some milk, eggs, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms and a loaf of freshly baked bread.

He paid for his groceries and was just on his way back up to his flat, when his phone rang. It was Mai with the news that Bakura was awake.

::::::::::::

After further surgery, to repair his torn insides, Bakura's condition had started to improve enough for him to be brought out of his induced coma.

Under supervision of the medical staff, who were not keen on him being 'interrogated' so soon after waking, Seto and Mai were there to question him.

Of course, he feigned memory loss and even claimed to be horrified that someone could possibly do the terrible things he was being accused of.

Seto Kaiba was beginning to lose patience with him. Even under repeated questioning, he was maintaining his facade. "I know you are lying. Don't think you will get away with it by feigning amnesia!"

Bakura tried to laugh in Seto's face, but it hurt his insides so much he was reduced to coughing, while his face contorted in pain.

The nurse rushed to intervene. "I think that is enough for now! We don't want him to tear his internal stitches. Please leave while we check he hasn't done any damage."

Seto stood up. He was beyond angry and was very tempted to pick up the drip stand and smash it over Bakura's head. Instead, he calmly strode towards the door, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.

Bakura found enough strength to lift his head and goad Seto. "Let me see Marik and I might decide to remember something." Seto stopped and turned around with a slight smirk.

"Talk, and I might let you see him." He walked out and left Bakura to think on it.

After speaking to the doctor, Seto was told that they would have to wait until tomorrow to speak to him again. Right now, the patient needed rest. Seto did his best to hide his anger that a criminal should be entitled to such protection, but he knew it was unwise to push it. The last thing he wanted was Bakura claiming police brutality!

The man was still going to prison. However, Seto wanted him to receive the maximum penalty. He wanted him charged with three counts of first degree murder, kidnapping with intent to commit murder, and for the attempted murder of a police officer (Mai). He did not want him to get away with the lesser plea of diminished responsibility on the grounds of insanity! The man was not insane, he was a manipulative, calculating murderer with the cunning of a fox.

::::::::::::

Yugi and Anzu were up, but still lounging around in their pyjamas when Atem got back. Anzu was laughing at Yugi, who was playing a game of catch the toy mouse with Yami. The cat had never really been much of a playful house cat until they moved in and it made Atem smile.

"Good morning you two. I thought you might like a decent breakfast. I also have something to show you." He handed Anzu the newspaper. "Looks like you have rave reviews after last night's show!" He grinned.

Filled with excitement, Anzu scanned the headlines before opening up the paper to reveal a two page article. "Wow! I never imagined I would attract this much attention!" She started to read the article and frowned. "They probably wouldn't have bothered if I hadn't been kidnapped!" She huffed in annoyance at the constant references to what had happened to her.

Yugi put his arms round her and gave her a loving hug. "I'm sure that's not entirely true! You were awesome."

Anzu smiled at him and kissed him. "I always dance better when I'm under pressure. For some reason, when I'm stressed, dancing helps me to release the tension and express myself better!"

"I think you are awesome even if you are not stressed," Yugi stated, proudly.

Atem started unpacking the groceries he had bought for breakfast. No point in upsetting their good mood by telling them that Bakura was awake.

Anzu rushed to help him with breakfast but Yugi stopped her. "No! I will help with the breakfast. You sit and relax."

Anzu tutted. "But I want to help!"

"Why don't you make a pot of tea then," Atem suggested. "Yugi and I will do the cooking. Do you both like bacon, fried egg, mushrooms and tomatoes?" They both confirmed that they did.

::::::::::::

"Phone call for you Ishtar!" Marik was woken by a prison officer and taken to a wall mounted telephone in a secure office.

"Ishizu?!" After all the terrible things he had done, Marik was surprised to hear from his sister.

"It has been too long since we last spoke Marik. It is time to heal our broken family." Their past saddened Ishizu. She had hoped that after Marik butchered their abusive father in a fit of rage, they could move on and start new lives. But when Marik decided to reform the Ghouls, it had widened the divide between them. Ishizu had expressed her deep disappointment in him and he had told her that he hated his family and wanted nothing more to do with them.

From the day he had been born, Marik had suffered, and Ishizu often felt guilty about not being able to do more to help him. Their father had shunned modern medical care and insisted that their mother give birth in the hidden, underground bunker in which they lived. She suffered severe blood loss and died shortly after Marik was born, leaving their father to bring up three children on his own.

Their father was determined that Marik would follow in his footsteps and become a Tomb Keeper, and while Ishizu and Rishid were allowed outside, Marik had been kept imprisoned underground to prevent him from being poisoned by the trappings of modern society.

The old ways of the Tomb Keepers had been instilled into all three of them, but Marik was a sensitive boy and had suffered the most. Their father had even tattooed the royal crest of the Pharaoh -who's tomb they had failed to keep secret- onto Marik's back, when the boy had been just ten years old.

As a teenager, Marik began craving the outside world. One day, while their father was out on business, he persuaded Ishizu to take him outside. Unfortunately, their father had come home early and took out his anger on Rishid. When Marik and Ishizu returned to find him beating Rishid with a whip as punishment for allowing them out, something inside Marik had snapped. He had picked up an ornamental dagger that had once belonged to an Egyptian High Priest and plunged it into his father's throat. He had then used the dagger to flay the flesh containing the same markings that had been etched into Marik's own skin, from their father's back.

Ishizu had been so horrified and had been unable to move for nearly an hour. Marik had run off, leaving her to patch up Rishid's injuries and bury their father's body in secret.

Marik had returned two days later, full of remorse and in a terrible state. However, they had argued and he left again, to explore the world he had been missing out on.

It had only been when she and Rishid were sorting through their father's belongings that Ishizu realised the extent of her father's illegal activities. She had stumbled across forged papers and income receipts relating to people who had paid to be smuggled out of poverty and into a supposedly better life!

She had not known what to do! She decided to take them to a friend of their family who was high up in the Egyptian Government. "Leave it with me," he had told her, but the files disappeared without a trace. Ishizu later came to realise that he had been an ally to her father and a secret member of the Ghouls.

With no evidence, there was nothing to pursue. But she had a photographic memory and every name and detail was etched into her mind.

But with no proof, who would believe her?! Until now...

"I had a visit from a member of British Intelligence today," she explained to Marik. "He wanted to know about Father's activities with the Ghouls. I told him everything I know. I think you should hear it."

As Marik listened to what she had to say, it occurred to him that he grown up to be just like his father. All his life he had tried to run away from _that_ man, and yet his father's evil influence was not only engraved on Marik's back. It was also burned into his heart and mind. Until he could defeat the control it had over him, he would never be free!

"I implore you Marik! Disband the Ghouls and stop this terrible trade in human suffering!"

His sister's desperate plea sliced through his heart and he was unsure how to respond. Was it too late to start regretting all the terrible things he had done? If he could go back in time and change things, he would.

The call ended and he was lead back to his cell. "Tell Atem Sennen I wish to speak with him. I'm thinking of changing my plea," he told the prison guard.

The guard acknowledged his request and left.

::::::::::::

Atem was halfway through his breakfast when he received the call. He excused himself from the table and answered his phone. Yugi and Anzu both noticed the surprised expression on his face and looked at each other in confusion as they watched him pacing the sitting room with the phone held to his ear.

Atem ended the call and came back over to the dining table. "That was Pegasus. Marik wants to talk to me. It seems our plan worked. Ishizu has spoken to him and he wants to change his plea."

After washing and changing into a suit, he left to interview Marik.

Arriving at Belmarsh Prison, Atem showed his badge to the officer guarding the security gate and was let in. He parked his car and entered the building. This place housed some of the worst offenders and gave him the creeps.

"I'm here to see Marik Ishtar," he told the guard manning the reception desk. The man signed him in and another officer took him to an interview room.

Atem sat down at the desk and waited. A few minutes later, Marik was lead in and told to sit in the seat opposite Atem, which he did.

Armed with a baton and tazer, the officer stepped back and stood with his back against the wall. Keeping his expression neutral, Atem spoke to Marik.

"Do you mind if I record our conversation?" He would record it anyway but was still obliged to ask due to Marik's human rights.

Marik gave a brief nod of the head to say that he did not mind.

Atem pressed the buttons on the recording device and spoke the date, time and place of the interview. "Okay Marik. What do you wish to say?" He began, calmly.

Marik smirked. "I had a call from my sister, Ishizu, early this morning. She gave me some very interesting information about your past." He paused to gauge Atem's reaction. Disappointed that he got no reaction at all, he continued. "Would you like to hear what she told me?"

Inside, Atem could feel his heart beating erratically. Even though Pegasus had e-mailed the details of Ishizu's testimony to him, he still felt a lump of emotion rising in his throat. But he purposefully remained calm and unemotional in Marik's presence. "Please continue with what you wish to tell me."

"I bet my sister has already given you what you need. I was too young to remember anything of my father's activities, beyond the years of isolation underground and the mental and physical torture. Have you seen my back? Not many have! Only Bakura understands." He shoved his chair back and went to stand. The guard reached for his baton and stepped forward, but Atem put his hand up.

Marik unbuttoned his blue, prison issue shirt an pulled it down over his shoulders. Atem's eyes were immediately drawn to the starburst scar on the front of his right shoulder where the bullet had entered his body, and the surgical incision where he had been operated on. They were still red and ugly. Marik also seemed to have limited mobility in that shoulder and was still in some discomfort from the injury.

Marik turned around and showed Atem his back. Atem gasped. Carved into the whole of his back were depictions of the Egyptian Gods, along with some hieroglyphics. The wings of Horus stretched across from one shoulder blade to the other. They had been tattooed in an old fashioned method, using a fine tipped knife and ink, but part of one wing was obliterated where the bullet had exited his body through his right shoulder blade.

"Are you shocked? This was all done in the name of the man you are named after! After three thousand years, my family were still his servants. Generations of my family lived in underground, guarded his tomb and kept its location secret. But your grandfather desecrated his tomb and the Egyptian Government allowed him to strip it of everything, so that the public could could pay to see it. My family became redundant; worthless! That was when my father became disillusioned. Apparently, he stole some ancient artefacts from the Pharaohs' treasure trove and sold them. He was not jailed but was dismissed from the Department of Antiquities. He tried to continue the traditional ways of Tomb Keepers and imprisoned me underground. He gave me this cursed scar and I eventually killed him for his brutality towards me and my brother, Rishid."

"Why did he form the Ghouls?"

"Until five years ago, I had always thought it was as a front to steal valuable artefacts. But when one of his former employees sought me out, I discovered the other side of the business. In the war torn regions of North Africa and the Middle East, there are many people desperate to escape their miserable lives, and they will pay to do so. There are also many abandoned and orphaned children. He would take these children and sell them to people who wanted to give them a home. He viewed it as good, charitable work. Ishizu read Father's diary. Your stepfather was a business partner and friend of my father's. He asked him to provide him with an infant for his barren wife. He did not want a street urchin. He wanted a child with good breeding! My father took you from your family as revenge against your grandfather."

Even though he had read what Ishizu had said, Atem still clenched his fists in his lap and his jaw visibly tensed.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it Pharaoh?" It was not said nastily, but with a sense of understanding. "I have been hurting for most of my life so I can sympathise."

"I don't want your sympathy Marik," Atem hissed. "Now tell me why you wanted to talk to me? Or did you just invite me so that you could taunt me?"

Marik feigned a look of hurt. "You probably won't believe me, but I am sorry for what my father did to your family. When I first discovered that you had set myself and Bakura up, I hated you, I hated your name. But I no longer do. I am tired of hating the world and blaming everyone else for what my father drove me to do to him. I know I am going to prison for what I have done, but one day I would like to be reunited with Ishizu and Rishid, and be given the chance to atone for what I have done."

Atem wanted to believe him but it was hard to imagine this particular leopard changing its spots! "Did you call me here to just tell me that, Marik? Or is there something else you wish to say?"

"Have patience Pharaoh..."

"My name is Atem," Atem interrupted.

"Atem, right! It's just that was the name I got to know you by. I am changing my plea. But before I did, I wanted you to know a little bit about my life and to the reason why I became who I am. There is no point in me denying what I have done any longer, so I am pleading guilty." He sat back in his chair and folded his arms. "Maybe, one day, we can even be friends?"

"I doubt that will be possible, but thank you for talking to me and for changing your plea. I just need you to sign this statement." He pushed the document that Seto kaiba had already prepared for Marik to plead guilty.

"Presumptuous!" Marik snorted but signed it without even bothering to read it. "How is Bakura doing?" He pushed the document back across the table. Atem placed it inside the folder and told Marik that he was awake but uncooperative, and had been asking for him.

Marik looked thoughtful. Bakura's love had been a destructive kind of love. Their hatred of those who held positions of power had fuelled one another's destructiveness. "I am not sure if I want to see him. But if it will help, I am willing to talk to him?"

"Thank you for the offer. I will mention it to DSI Kaiba. Interview terminated at one fifteen..." He switched off the recorder. He stood up and and told the guard to take Marik back to his cell.

Marik allowed himself to be lead away. As he reached the corridor, he turned around to watch Atem's retreating figure, heading for the exit door. "Phar... I mean, Atem?" He called out to Atem, who paused and looked over his shoulder at him. "I hope you find happiness with your true family." The guard prodded Marik in the lower back and told him to move along.

Atem watched him go, and could not help the rye smile that formed on his lips.

The security lock on the door clicked open and Atem stepped outside, feeling slightly relieved that he could breath properly again.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. Please review.**


	23. Chapter 23

I hope this isn't too rushed! I have had so little time to concentrate on editing and writing this last couple of weeks!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

* * *

Dance With The Devil.

Chapter 22.

After two weeks, Bakura was deemed well enough to be transferred to a high security rehabilitation centre, where behavioural and criminal psychologists tried to break him down.

Devious and cunning, he enjoyed stringing them along, all the while, looking for a possible means of escape.

Bakura lay down on the narrow bed in his sparsely decorated room in the solitary confinement wing of the 'nut house' as he liked to refer to it, and pondered over the latest game of cat and mouse that he and his shrink had been through. He was probably reporting his conclusions back to Seto Kaiba right now.

Whatever the outcome, Bakura doubted he would be moved out of this facility for a while to come, and while he was still weak and recovering from his injuries, if he bided his time, he would soon be fit enough to take advantage of any opportunities handed to him.

Most of the inmates in here were either criminally insane or had fried their brains by taking too many drugs. They were given medication to keep them quiet and stable, and were trusted enough to be let out of their rooms to use the recreational facilities. If he could convince his shrinks he was 'safe' maybe they would let him out to join them.

Once out, it would be easy to manipulate the other inmates to help him escape. He doubted he would get far, but it would annoy the hell out of his jailers and help him to pass the time.

A few days ago, Marik had been allowed to visit him. But rather than a joyous occasion, there had been coldness between them and Marik had kept his distance. He had told Bakura that he was pleading guilty and urged him to do the same. His parting words, were: 'I am sorry, but it is over Bakura'. The coward had given in and sold them both out! How quickly love turned to hate!

He carefully sat up and picked up his almost cold mug of tea and drank it.

The door to his room opened and a burly guard entered. Behind the guard, was his Psychiatrist and Seto Kaiba.

"Stand up!" The guard ordered. Bakura did as he was told but made a point of taking his time. His abdomen was still tender and having lost part of his digestive tract, he suffered from reflux if he ate or drank too much. Having just drunk a mug of tea, he found that moving quickly caused some of it to come back up. The temptation to hurl it down Kaiba's suit was too great.

"You bastard!" Seto hissed. "Get a cloth to clean this venom off me!" He ordered the guard.

"Sorry! Acid reflux. It's what happens when you lose half your gut!" Bakura tried not to smirk but it was impossible to hide his enjoyment at seeing Seto Kaiba's annoyance.

Bakura was lead out to an armoured police van and placed inside a metal cage that had been built within the van. He was handcuffed to the seat and the door to the cage was closed. Two armed officers sat in the compartment on the other side of his cage. "Overkill, isn't it?" Bakura smirked.

"You are a snake. I would not put it past you to find a way to slither through a solid wall!" Seto told him.

"You must really fear me..."

"I don't fear you. But I do fear for the safety of innocent people. That is why I make sure garbage like you are locked up!" He moved away from the van and got into his car, ready to follow the van to the Crown Court.

:::::::::::

It was the first time that Atem had seen Bakura since the shooting. He and Seto stood side by side as Bakura was lead into the court room to hear the charges being read out against him. Due to his injuries still healing, he was allowed to remain seated.

He sat in his chair, glaring at Atem.

Any lesser man, might have been intimidated, but Atem turned his head to look Bakura in the eyes with a glare that told him that he was only alive because Atem had decided to spare him.

The glaring contest lasted a a full minute before Bakura's jaw started twitching. "You should have finished me off, Pharaoh!" He snarled across the courtroom, interrupting the judge.

The judge coughed. "Mister Bakura! I should warn you to be silent in court."

Bakura smirked. "And I should warn all of you to be careful. A prison cell will not detain me for long."

Seto rolled his eyes impatiently. "No one is impressed by your Empty threats."

"How is the little dancer? Get her feet very wet, did she? I hear you went in after her Pharaoh. Did you enjoy your swim?" His efforts to insult and rile them was all the proof Seto needed to confirm that Bakura was not suffering from amnesia.

The judge obviously agreed, and ordered that Bakura be detained in the high security, psychiatric unit until his trial, one month from now. Due to the danger he posed, his trial would be in a closed court and the witnesses and jury would be allowed to watch via video link.

With Marik having pleaded guilty, and Bakura's trial not for a few weeks, Atem breathed a sigh of relief. He could finally concentrate on his own personal life.

Yugi did not want to leave Anzu and go back to Japan just yet and Atem needed some sort of explanation from his stepfather. It would be hard confronting him but unless he heard the truth, he would never be able to forgive.

::::::::::::

Early the next morning, he was on his stepfather's private jet to Riyadh.

The heat hit him the moment he stepped off the plane and he started to feel nauseous. Could facing his step father really be having this effect on him?! He shook his head and tried to laugh it off.

He did not have long to gather his thoughts, because his stepfather's limousine was waiting for him.

The chauffeur greeted him and opened the rear passenger door.

Atem peered into the cool exterior to see his father sitting there, dressed in the traditional thobe and keffiyeh. Atem knew that his Metallica tee-shirt and baggy combat trousers would annoy his ultra conservative stepfather – that was why he chose to wear them.

"Get in son." He patted the car seat next to him.

Atem wanted to retort with ' _I'm not your son!'_ but thought better of it and got in – if only to get out of the heat!

In the rear of the car, they were alone and free to talk; a soundproof screen divided them from the driver.

"Your mother is looking forward to seeing you. It has been too long since you were last home."

"A year," Atem confirmed. "I'm not staying." He did his best to remain civil. _This was not his home. "_ I will be flying back to London tonight."

His father appeared a little surprised by his son's frosty exterior. "Your mother will be disappointed. She is arranging a family banquet for this evening." He knew the boy had always been guarded when it came to his feelings, but there was quite a bit of coldness and aggression in his tone. "You are angry about something. I presume it concerns me?"

Atem could feel his jaw twitching. Why was he always so intimidated by this man? "Yes..." It was supposed to sound strong and confident but he almost cringed when he found himself sounding like his twelve year old self being told off for misbehaving.

Atem gathered his confidence and looked at his stepfather. The man was starting to look old, and in the year since Atem had last seen him his beard had become quite grey. "What I have to say is sensitive. I do not wish to upset mother. My questions are for you." He took a breath in. He might as well cut right to the chase. "Kamil Ishtar," he almost smirked when his father tensed slightly at the name. "You paid him to find you and mother a baby. I want to know... how much you know?"

"I know nothing my son! Kamil was a second cousin of your mother and offered to help! I knew he was struggling financially, so I gave him money and accepted his offer. He assured us that your birth mother did not want anything to do with you!"

"That's a lie and you know it! How could you do something like that?! You took me from my real family, lied to me about who my birth mother was, and even covered it up to make my real family think I was dead! Don't you feel any guilt for what you did?"

"I have felt guilty every single day and I am sorry!" The sincerity with which he said it made Atem falter. A lump came to his throat and he started to well up with emotion.

"Why?," he choked out. "Why did you cover it up?" His eyes started to well up with tears. He hated being so weak and emotional in front of this man.

But when he looked at his stepfather, there were tears glistening in his eyes as well.

For a short time, they sat there in silence. Atem looked out of the window at the barren landscape of the oil fields surrounding the motorway. Their ranch style house, situated on the outskirts of Jeaddah, close to the Red Sea, was roughly ten minutes away.

His father suddenly cleared his throat. "If I had known what Kamil was planning, I would have stopped him. But by the time I realised, you were already on board my private jet; on the way to Saudi Arabia. When my wife held you, she fell in love and bonded with you immediately. She had waited ten years for a child and I could not bring myself to take you away again. I had no choice but to help Kamil arrange a cover up. Your mother was completely unaware of what was going on. I justified what I had been involved in by assuring myself that you would have a good upbringing and would want for nothing. Financially, you are set up for life."

Atem sat back in his seat and let out a breath. "Kamil Ishtar is dead so I only have your word on it. I want to believe you didn't orchestrate the whole thing, but I'm finding it hard. When the authorities got involved with my abduction, you even substituted me with a deceased baby! Did you order Ishtar to do that?"

"I don't know how Kamil obtained the infant and I did not question it."

"We are having the body exhumed. I hope to give the infant an identity and bring closure to his family."

"Please don't mention any of this to your mother. She is not strong and it will break her heart."

Atem glared at him. "Do you think I'm as heartless as you?! For her sake, I will not say anything."

The car arrived at the ranch. "We will not speak of this again for now," his stepfather looked disapprovingly at his attire. "You should change into more acceptable clothing. Hopefully your old clothes still fit you."

Atem scowled. "They were big and baggy on me last time I was here, I doubt they've shrunk!"

"I will talk to you again, after lunch." Putting on a forced smile, his stepfather got out of the car.

Fixing his own smile, Atem followed. His emotions were mixed as his stepmother and two of his siblings from his stepfather's other wife, came rushing out to greet him.

Until recently, she was the only mother he had ever known and he could never reject her. She was more familiar to him than his real mother; who he had yet to meet in person. He owed it to his stepmother to tell her the truth, but knew that it would be far too cruel to inflict such a thing on such a sweet woman.

His stepmother was so happy to see him. He was quickly ushered inside for tea and refreshments. His mother assumed he was staying and had made up his bed for him. There was no way he could go home tonight!

::::::::::::

It always felt strange to be back in his old bedroom. As always, the room was neat and clean and the bed made up in anticipation of him staying. He sighed at the prospect of being obliged to stay the night.

He opened the wardrobe doors to find the clothing he had left behind still there. Most of it was the traditional Arabic clothing but there were some shirts and trousers that he doubted still fitted him.

Still on a hanger were his old riding breeches and the yellow and orange colours of his fathers stable. His brown leather riding boots were tucked away in the corner of the wardrobe. Picking them up, he felt a twinge of nostalgia. It reminded him that his life had actually been pretty good. He loved riding the horses and his talent had been quickly spotted. Being a small, light but athletic teenager, he had been ideally suited to flat racing and had won several races. He had not ridden a horse since he was last here! He would be a bit rusty but maybe he should head over to the stables later and go for a ride.

A knock at the door broke him from his thoughts. "Enter!" He called out, still holding the boots.

The door opened and one of his 'brothers' from his stepfather's second wife walked in. "Father sent me to get you. He wants to talk to you in his office." The lad, who at seventeen was the youngest of the children, stood fidgeting with a guilty grin on his face. "I was wondering... can I have your tee-shirt?" Atem looked down at his Metallica shirt.

"This one?! Would father allow you to wear such blasphemous clothing?" He smirked.

"He won't know! I will hide it under my shirt. And anyway, I'm being sent to study in Montreal next year, I can wear what I like then."

"Okay Kamran, it's yours." He pulled off the shirt and tossed it to the boy.

Thanking him, Kamran nodded to the boots. "Are you going to start racing again?" Atem shrugged.

"I doubt it."

"Shame... you were the best!" Grinning, Kamran left, clutching his tee-shirt.

Shaking his head in amusement, Atem grabbed a white button up shirt and put it on, before going to see his stepfather.

He knocked on the door and entered. "You wanted to see me?" He eyed his stepfather suspiciously.

"I did. Sit down Atem." There was a seriousness in his voice so Atem did as he was told.

"It is good to see you are no longer wearing that blasphemous shirt." His stepfather looked pleased and Atem struggled to hide his smirk.

His stepfather adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose and picked up a folder. "I have been considering this for some time now. I already had the legal papers drawn up, and since you are here, we can go through them together." Atem looked at him with a slightly confused expression.

What was his stepfather plotting?

"I am giving you the flat in which you are living. I am also giving you the freehold to the entire apartment block. The freehold also covers the shop and restaurant on the ground floor." Atem's eyes went wide. If he accepted, it would mean that he would be an extremely wealthy man. But he was suspicious as to the ulterior motive. "Are you trying to bribe me? Because no amount of money can compensate for what you have put the Mutou family through," he seethed. "If you think you can buy my forgiveness..."

His stepfather waved a dismissive hand. "Of course not. This has nothing to do with any of that. As I said, papers were already drawn up. But if you would rather not accept your inheritance then I will give it to one of my other sons."

"But why now? I don't understand. Is there some other reason?"

His father gave him a defeated look. "My doctors recently diagnosed me with a rare blood cancer. There is no cure and they have informed me that I have anywhere between six to eighteen months to live. You probably think I deserve it! But I do not want you to spend your life being angry. I told you the truth about my involvement in your abduction, and whether or not you believe me, is up to you. But regardless of how you think of me, I am putting my affairs in order and ensuring my two wives and all of five of my children are financially secure."

Atem did not know what to say. For a moment he sat there with his jaw flapping. "Does.. does mother know?" His father shook his head.

"I have not yet told anyone yet. You are the first to know."

Atem looked down at his hands in his lap. "This is not what I expected," he hesitated. "I was so angry. I wanted justice but now I don't know... When you said you were sorry, I was taken by surprise. My desire for Justice now just seems like a thirst for revenge. For the sake of the Mutou family, my Mother and your other children, I will not mention it again."

"I have prayed to God for forgiveness and I hope you can also find it in your heart to forgive me.." Atem looked up at his stepfather, to see a genuine look of sadness.

"I don't know if it will be that easy. I will try to forgive, but I will not forget."

"Take it from a man who knows, it is not good to hold anger in your heart. God punished Ishtar for his sins and I view my cancer as God's punishment for mine."

Atem was not religious so he did not agree or disagree with what his stepfather had just said. He just nodded sadly.

His stepfather pushed the documents towards him. "Enough talk of death and sadness. Would you like to read through the paperwork before you sign?"

Atem nodded dumbly and picked up the documents.

::::::::::::

Later that afternoon, Atem went out to the stables. His favourite horse was saddled up and waiting for him. The stable hand greeted him. "It is good to see you home Sir." He handed Atem the reigns.

Atem thanked the stable hand and stepped closer to his horse. He patted the twelve year old, grey stallion on the neck and then rubbed his nose.

"Hello Timaeus. Did you miss me?" The horse gave a snort through his nostrils and tossed his head. Atem laughed. "Yeah, me too!" He lead Timaeus across the yard to where a couple of the jockeys were waiting to exercise the other horses, before climbing into the saddle. As a former star jockey, they all greeted Atem with respect. Atem chuckled. "Go easy on me guys! I have not ridden for a while!"

He need not have worried. The ride was fantastic. The heat of the day was starting to ease and the early evening was perfect for riding along the sandy shoreline.

It did wonders for his stress levels. Being close to water did not frighten him as he feared it might and as they galloped along the waters edge, he thanked Timaeus for making him forget his experience of near drowning.

It was seven forty when he returned from the stables, tired and hungry. The evening meal was at eight so he did not have long to get ready.

Stepping into a refreshing shower, he hurriedly washed away the sand, sweat, grime and the remnants of his anger.

* * *

 **Okay, I know it was short, but I'm going away for a few days holiday and have not had time to edit it all, so I have split it from one long chapter, into two shorter ones.**

 **Please review.**


	24. Chapter 24

I am not usually one to procrastinate, but I have really dragged myself out over this chapter. For some reason, I hated everything I had written. It just refused to be how I wanted it! I still don't feel entirely happy with it but I don't think I can make it any better, so her it is - the final chapter. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Dance With The Devil.

Chapter 23 – Epilogue.

Atem ended up staying in Saudi Arabia for two days.

Since it was in his best interest to do so, he signed the documents giving him ownership of the property in London.

He had accepted the apology, but knew he would never be able to truly forgive his stepfather for allowing him to be taken from his real family. And since Kamil Ishtar was already dead, there was nothing to be gained by pursuing a criminal investigation. His stepfather might be seen a crime lord in most countries, but was also viewed as a useful ally to have when it came to business deals in the Middle East. And in his own country he was considered an upstanding member of society and a successful businessman. Aknam Sennen had friends in high places and Atem doubted he would be allowed to leave Saudi Arabia alive if he were to make any official accusations against him.

The old man was dying anyway! So, the last thing Atem wished for was to be beheaded and left in the desert to rot! He could not even begin to imagine what him dying 'again' would do to the Mutou family.

He also felt a sense of loyalty to his adoptive mother. She was innocent of any wrongdoing and had always believed that her husband had rescued Atem from a miserable life of poverty. She had taken Atem into her arms and loved him as though he were her own child. He had to admit that he loved her too. She might not have given birth to him but she was still his mother. She had nurtured him and had taught him to be a good man who cared about others, and who always tried to do what he thought was right.

While his relationship with his stepfather would always be strained, he enjoyed a good relationship with his adoptive mother. He also got along well with his stepfather's other children. He certainly did not want to hurt any of them.

::::::::::::

When he returned home, he was keen to put it all behind him and make arrangements to go to Japan.

Yugi had deferred his original flight home, but when he contacted the airline to re-arrange his flight, and add Atem to the booking, he discovered that his ticket was now invalid. The customer services representative told him that she could book seats for him and his fellow traveller, but that he would have to pay the full price for both tickers. It was an annoying expense that he could not really afford.

"I will pay for our tickets," Atem offered, without hesitation. Yugi wanted to protest but Atem was insistent. He was a wealthy property owner and businessman and could easily afford it.

With their flights confirmed, Yugi was back to worrying about leaving Anzu on her own.

Anzu tried her best to convince him to stop worrying. "It will only be for a few days Yugi! My parents are hoping to come and visit me." So far, work commitments had been preventing them from seeing their daughter dance in her first major role. When they heard about her kidnapping it had been traumatic for them, and they had been upset that they could not be there for her.

After speaking with them again, Anzu was delighted to hear that both her parents employers had agreed to allow them some extra leave. They were going to sort out their flights today, and would be able to stay with her until the ballet company left London for their world tour, one month from now.

"Everything is working out so well at last!" Anzu hugged Yugi joyously at the news.

He had to agree. Knowing her parents would be here with her was a big load off his mind.

Anzu released him and checked the time. "I should get ready to leave for tonight's show."

"I will order you a taxi." He was still not ready to let her travel on the underground by herself and felt that a taxi was a safer option.

Anzu had welcomed his care and attention at first, but she was getting starting to get her confidence back now and his unwillingness to allow her to travel, go for a jog, or even to the shops on her own, was getting claustrophobic. "Going by taxi everyday is a waste of money Yugi! I am quite capable of taking the train."

The pair rarely argued but there was a definite air of tension surronding them and Atem tried not to get involved. Eventually, he got fed up with their bickering and made the suggestion that he would drive her there if she wished.

"I have already ordered the taxi!" Yugi stated.

"I wish you would both stop mollycoddling me and let me make my own decision on how I will get there!" She raised her voice enough to shut them both up.

They looked at each other sheepishly and then back at Anzu. "I'm sorry," Yugi said. "I'm just worried that something might happen to you."

Anzu's expression softened. "I know," she sighed. "I'm sorry for shouting, but I can't hide from the world and worry that another Bakura is lurking around every corner." They heard a toot toot from outside, indicating that the taxi had arrived. Anzu picked up her bag and opened the door to leave. "I will go by taxi today. But next time I am going on the underground – on my own!"

Yugi grinned innocently and kissed her goodbye. At least he had got his own way this time.

Standing on the balcony, he watched as she stomped down the steps to the waiting taxi.

The driver got out and opened the door for her, and as she got in she looked up at Yugi with a smile and a wave to show there were no hard feelings.

Atem came up beside him and clamped him on the shoulder. "I know you worry about her after what happened. But you have to give her the freedom to re-discover her confidence on her own."

Yugi sighed. "I know I'm being overprotective, but I can't help it."

"You care about her. It's only natural that you should want to protect her. But you are smothering her a little."

Yugi nodded his head slowly. "As her husband it is my duty to look after her. But I am a failure. I guess I'm trying to make up for it."

"You are not a failure," Atem responded gently. "Why do you think you are?"

Yugi's voice sounded heavy with guilt, as he spoke. "I ran into the water with no idea how I was going to cut the ropes holding her. I should have found a knife or something, but when I saw her tied to the post I panicked and didn't think! As a result, you were forced to help. I caused you to nearly drown."

Atem grabbed Yugi's shoulders and gently pulled him round so that they were facing. "Do _not_ blame yourself! I would have done exactly the same as you. It was only when you shouted at me that you needed a knife, that I remembered I had taken Bakura's Swiss Army Knife away from him to stop him from using it. If I had gone straight into the water with the knife still in my pocket, my hands would have been too cold to pull the blade out."

Yugi was reflective for a moment. "I can't even remember if I thanked you. I am so grateful for the way you refused to give up until the ropes were cut and Anzu was free. I didn't even stop to make sure you were swimming back to shore with us. I feel terrible about it."

"You did what you were supposed to do and saved Anzu. It was my fault I got myself into trouble. I was not prepared for the cold water shock."

"Even so..."

"What could you have done?" Atem challenged.

Yugi gave him an incredulous look. "Saved both of you!"

Atem just laughed. "Then all three of us might have drowned."

Yugi looked pensive. "Don't joke about it!"

"I'm not. I just want you to see that you did nothing wrong. I dragged you and Anzu into my problems in the first place and I take full responsibility. But we can't go back and undo all the crap that has happened, so we just have to move on and look forward to our future." He gave Yugi a warm but slightly sad smile.

Yugi smiled back at him and nodded. "Yeah, you're right." The two of them stood and watched the people scurrying about below. After a while, the late afternoon sun started to dip behind one of the other buildings, causing the temperature to suddenly drop.

In just a thin shirt, Yugi shivered. "It's getting cold and I'm starving. Shall we get something to eat?"

At the mention of food, Atem felt his tummy rumble. "Do you fancy a burger and a beer?"

Yugi never said no to a burger. "You bet I do!" He grinned. "And we could play some games afterwards!"

"Now you're talking!" Atem grinned and hi-fived him.

::::::::::::

The morning had arrived for them to leave. Yugi closed his suitcase and stood up. "Whelp! That's me packed." He turned around to face Anzu, who was sitting on the corner of the bed watching him pack.

He held his hand out to her and she stood up to entwine her fingers with his.

Stepping in closer to him, she kissed him. "I'm going to miss you. I wish you didn't have to go."

"But you will have your parents!"

Anzu smiled. Indeed, she would, but she would still miss Yugi. "I'm excited about them coming to stay. But who am I going to cuddle up to at night?"

He placed his hands on her waist and kissed her lips softly. "I will send you a virtual hug every night."

"But it's not the same," she pouted, running her fingers through his hair and trying to flatten his spikes. "I will miss being woken up by your hair poking me in the face!" She giggled when his stubborn hair refused to stay flattened.

He looked rather alarmed at that. "It doesn't wake you! Does it?!"

"No, not really," she kissed the end of his nose. "I'm only teasing. I hope you can come and see me in Europe. We won't get much time off and it will be four months before the tour makes it to Japan."

"I have always wanted to visit Rome. I could try and see you there?"

Anzu nodded. "Promise you will definitely come?"

"Promise." He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

Anzu wrapped her arms around his shoulders and they kissed. It was not long before the kiss grew more passionate.

There was a knock on the door and it opened. "Are you ready Yugi?" Atem stepped into the room. "Mai's here and.. Oops!" The pair jumped apart as if they had been electrocuted. "Not disturbing anything am I?" Atem smirked.

"No!" Yugi almost squeaked.

Atem tried not to laugh at them for being so embarrassed over being caught kissing. "Mai is early because the traffic is worse than usual this morning."

"Oh, okay! Well, I'm ready to go." Face slightly flushed, he picked up his bags and followed his brother out to where Mai was waiting.

Despite the traffic, they made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare. After checking in, they went to get coffee while they waited for their flight information to come up on the screen.

As soon as it appeared, they headed to passport control to say their goodbyes.

"Make sure you keep him out of trouble kiddo!" Mai gave Yugi a quick peck on the cheek and then she turned to Atem. Her mind was willing her to embrace him, give him a kiss and tell him how much she would miss him. She longed for him to wrap his strong arms around her and tell her he loved her. _Pha!What is wrong with me? Silly school girl fantasy._ And anyway, this was an airport and romantic stuff like that was not her style.

She could have kicked herself when she lightly punched him on the shoulder and ordered him to behave himself while he was away!

"Me?! Atem smirked innocently. "You know I always do!"

"Yeah, well Yugi's going to report back to me, aren't you Yugi?" She winked at him.

Yugi looked awkward. "Erm.. if you like..."

"Maybe Atem will keep in touch with you Mai?" Anzu looked at Atem expectantly. "I'm sure you will have plenty of things you wish to say to each other." _Like kiss already!_

"Yeah," Atem smiled. "I will do that." He leaned in and kissed Mai on the cheek. "Take care Mai."

In return, Mai politely kissed him on the cheek. "I will. See you when you get back."

Meanwhile, Yugi and Anzu held each other tightly, vowing to meet up again in Italy.

Atem placed his hand on Yugi's shoulder. "Hey! We should go. They are calling our flight."

Yugi nodded and stepped away from Anzu but refused to let go of her hands. "I love you," he whispered intimately.

"I love you Yugi," Anzu reluctantly let go of his hands and watched as he walked through passport control and into the departure lounge.

Just as Atem turned to leave, Mai grabbed his arm. "Maybe we can hook up and go out together when you get back! Wha'da'ya say?" She winked.

Atem was taken aback but smiled. "Yes, I would like that." He gave a small nod of the head and hurried after Yugi.

Mai turned to Anzu who had tears in her eyes, but was smiling. "I really stuffed that up. didn't I?!" She huffed. "Come on hun. Let's go."

"Oh, I don't know! Atem has had a lot on his mind lately. But I do know he likes you. He's just not sure how you feel about him."

"Yeah, that's me! Not big on the feels. I do hope it all goes well for him in Japan though."

Anzu smiled back at her reassuringly. "Yugi's family are really nice. I know it will."

:::::::::::

Atem and Yugi boarded the aircraft and made their way along thee aisle to their seats. Atem asked Yugi if it was okay if he had the window seat. Yugi didn't mind. Atem sat down and buckled up his seat-belt and gazed out of the portal at the grey sky and drizzle. Mai had been behaving a bit weird when they said goodbye. Did that mean she liked him a bit more than just a friend with benefits? His mind was a bit of a muddle right now and he was unsure if he was quite ready for a more permanent relationship.

As the plane prepared for take off, he settled into his seat for the long journey ahead and tried to relax.

He and Yugi chatted, ate their meal and got halfway through the onboard movie before falling asleep. A little under eleven and a half hours later, they awoke to find they were approaching the coast of Japan. Below him, Atem could see the bright lights and sky scrapers of Tokyo. He was starting to feel really excited, but also rather anxious. Although he thought he was hiding it well, Yugi still seemed to notice.

"Are you alright?" He enquired, more than once. To which Atem kept replying that he was. He preferred to keep his inner turmoil to himself:

What would his real mother think of him when she saw him? Would she throw her arms around him and smother him in motherly kisses? Or would she bow politely while scrutinising him, and come to the conclusion that he was a disappointment?

He didn't know how he should react when he saw her either. Yugi had told him to just act normally.

But he had no idea what 'normally' meant. Should he bow? Should he call her Mum, Mother, or Mrs Mutou? Would hugging her be too forward? He had no idea and he felt that his questions were too stupid to ask Yugi.

He did think that maybe everyone would feel a bit awkward at first – after so many years of being separated, that was to be expected.

But it would work out just fine.

The End.

* * *

 **Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story.**

 **Just to let you know, I have been working on two more new stories. One will take place after DSOD and will feature what might happen when Kaiba meets Atem - nothing romantic I should add. Pride is a pairing I dislike. The other story is a comedy, which will feature the whole gang and be based somewhere between Duelist Kingdom and Battle City.**


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